Temporarily Reassigned
by Rodea McWin
Summary: Takes place after “Wolfe in Sheep’s Clothing”. Horatio reassigns Ryan to another department where he is asked to work on another case. As Ryan comes closer to solving the case he finds something that will change his relationship with Horatio.
1. Chapter 1

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Horatio had been watching the interaction between Ryan and his other CSI for several days now. Once everyone had learned what Ryan had done with the evidence on the last case they started treating him like an outsider. Horatio didn't really blame the other CSI for feeling this way toward Ryan, but he also didn't think they were being very fair either. Ryan had tried to tell them why he had done it, but his explanations only fell on deaf ears. Horatio knew that eventually everyone would come around and begin to understand why he did what he had done, but until then he feared Ryan's presence would start to damage the very soul of the team. He had finally decided to step in to prevent this from happening and was on his way to talk to Ryan about it.

"Mr. Wolfe, a word please". Horatio had stopped at the door of the locker room blocking the exit.

"H, what is it?" Ryan didn't like the tone inHoratio's voice and figured this wasn't going to be anything he wanted to hear.

"I've been asked to temporarily reassign one of my CSI to another department and I have chosen you". Horatio had decided not to tell Ryan the real reason he was chosen, as this would only make it harder on him. Horatio also had no intentions of telling Ryan that the request had not actually come from someone else, but was in fact all his idea.

When Ryan heard this, he wasn't surprised. The way everyone was treating him lately, he knew if would only be a matter of time before they asked him to leave. "Why? Does this have anything to do with the last case?

"I can assure you it has nothing to do with your last case. I just thought this would be a good experience for you". Horatio had expected some resistance from Ryan.

"H, do I get any say in this? I was just heading out to a new case before you stopped me". Ryan didn't really think he could talk his way out of this, but he had to try. He didn't want to leave the team because he feared that this time he would not be able to come back.

"The decision has been made Mr. Wolfe and is not up for negotiation. As for the case you were called to I will take care of it". He chose this moment to hand Ryan some paperwork pertaining to the reassignment. "Here is everything you will need for your new department, they will be expecting you later today Mr. Wolfe so I suggest you get going".

"Well are you going to at least tell me which department I am being reassigned to?" Ryan was expecting to have to go back to patrol and he couldn't hide the disappointment on his face.

"You are being reassigned to the cold case division". Horatio saw Ryan's expression change when he told him what department he was being assigned to. He wondered where Ryan had thought he was going.

Ryan had decided to accept his new assignment for what it was worth and didn't ask Horatio any further questions. He didn't know if he would ever be coming back to Horatio's team but he was relieved that he was not being asked to go back on patrol.

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As Ryan made his way to his new department he realized that this was probably for the best. His teammates had been doing everything they could to avoid working with him, so he could understand why Horatio had chosen him to go. Boy, he had really screwed up with this last case, but when he tried to explain they had all looked the other way. He always knew he had never really been a true member of the team, but he had hoped that once they worked with him for awhile it would have made them realize how valuable he was to the team. Now he would never get the chance. Well he would have to make the most of things in this new department and hope for the best.

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Author's note: I'm sorry this first chapter was so short, but I wanted to at least get this story started. I know that I won't be updating this story as often as I may have done with my other story, but I will certainly try. I hope you enjoyed chapter 1 and are able to stick around for chapter 2.


	2. Chapter 2

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As Ryan made his way to his new department he wondered how long this reassignment would last. Even though he was grateful for the change in scenery, the longer he was away the harder it would be when he went back to the team, that is if he was able t go back to the team. He didn't really blame Horatio for choosing him for this assignment. If he had to choose someone he would have done the same thing. The tension between him and his coworkers had become apparent to everyone around. He didn't know why he had thought that things would go back to the way they were once everyone had found out the reason for his betrayal. If anything it made it worse. They thought he didn't trust them enough to let them help him when he was in trouble, but this couldn't have been farther from the truth. He trusted each and every one of them with his life, but when the life of someone else was on the line he thought he was on his own and failed to realize that they would have been there for him.

Ryan stopped at the end of the hallway. He had never even been to this part of the building before and never even realized it existed. His new department was in the basement at the farthest end of the building. He didn't know what to expect once he opened the door, but he would never find out until he tried.

Once inside the room Ryan looked around and saw that this area of the building was older than the rest of the building, or at least it never got updated like the upstairs had. While gazing around the room he spied a desk that had several folders lying about and a very old looking computer. The computer was on and there was a steaming cup of coffee sitting by the folders but there was no one sitting there. He wondered where the person went since this office was not that big and they couldn't have gone far. He figured they must have stepped out so he sat at one of the chairs by the desk and waited.

Ryan didn't have to wait long. As soon as he got comfortable in the chair someone came through the door. He turned around and saw a very pretty woman smiling at him. He stood up and introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Ryan Wolfe".

She came into the room and set down the box she was carrying, "Oh Yes, Mr. Wolfe, I have been expecting you. Horatio Caine told me you would be starting today. I am so glad to have you here. Ever since my department was downsized it has just been me and it's been kind of tough and lonely". She didn't know why she said that last part. She didn't want him to think she was desperate. "Oh where are my manners, my name is Kathryn Tollenay, but you can just call me Katie". She had offered her hand when she said this".

Ryan took the offered hand, "Well I'm glad I could be of some service here. I didn't even know this department was in this building".

As she let go of his hand she went over to her desk and sat down. "Most people who work in this building don't know about this department either so don't feel so bad. There use to be 3 of us working down here but with the way the economy was going they didn't feel they could keep all of us. It's been a month since they left so it has just been me. But don't you worry there is plenty of work for you to do. I didn't think I would ever get anything done so you can imagine my delight when Lieutenant Caine offered to temporarily re-assign you here". She knew she had been rambling on and on, but she was just so happy to have someone to talk to, especially one that was attractive.

"Did you say Horatio made the offer to send me down here"? He didn't know if he had heard her correctly so he had to ask for clarification.

"Yes, Lieutenant Caine came to talk to me last week and asked if you could be of any use to my department. I jumped at the chance since I've been working alone for awhile. I thought you knew about this?" She was very confused at Ryan's statement and didn't know if she had said something she shouldn't have.

"No I didn't know, Horatio told me the request came from this office". He wondered why Horatio had not told him the truth.

Katie tried to remember if the lieutenant had said to keep his request quiet, but she couldn't, "No, I never made any request".

"OK then", Ryan paused before saying "now that we have that sorted out what's my first case?" With this new information Ryan didn't know what to make of his reassignment now. He could ask Horatio but the more he thought about it the more he came to realize that Horatio must not want him on the team either. He couldn't think of any reason why Horatio would have moved him to this department other than wanting to get rid of him. He would have liked it if Horatio had been truthful about the reason but he supposed he was being spared any further humiliation for his role in the past case involving the Russian mob.

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Author's note: I know this chapter was not very long and probably could have been added to chapter one (since that chapter was not very long either), but I decided little chunks of the story are ok. I am hoping the next chapter to be a longer one. Please review and let me know what ya think.


	3. Chapter 3

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Ryan was given the grand tour of the cold case department and found that it consisted of this one office he was currently in and a warehouse full of evidence boxes. Katie told him that they had a total of 31 cold cases spanning back to the early 60's. Some of the more recent cases had been added to their database, but the rest of the cases were contained inside the boxes. Ryan figured he had his work cut out for him, but he just wished it didn't involve old dusty boxes of evidence. Maybe he would get lucky and get assigned to one of the more recent ones. But he was just grateful that he still had a job here. Horatio could have very easily fired him after his latest screw-up.

"So Katie, which case should I start on first?"

Katie was wondering when Ryan's would ask this, but she didn't know if she should tell him that the case he was getting was handpicked by Horatio and that she had to agree to have him work on it if she were to have his help in this department. She thought it may not be the right time since Ryan had appeared annoyed after learning that this assignment was Horatio's idea. "I have a case all picked out for you".

"Great, tell me all about it". Ryan smiled at her, but was keeping his fingers crossed behind his back that it wasn't an old dusty one.

Katie reached for a box that had been sitting on the floor behind her desk and handed it to Ryan. "Here you go; this is one of 3 boxes that were collected at the time of the crime". She saw the smile on Ryan's face disappear as he took hold of the box. She liked when he smiled, but she had to wonder what made him stop. "The crime is about 10 years old so you have your work cut out for you. Since I started working in the department I've looked at a lot of the cases, but I have not had the privilege of looking at this one so I can't really tell you much about it. There should be a folder in one of the boxes detailing what the crime was and what evidence was collected".

"Well, this should be fun". Ryan put the box on the empty desk that was next to Katie's. "Can I assume that this empty desk is mine"?

Katie smiled at him and said "Yep, that one's yours. But you might want to clean it out before you use it; the last owner was such a slob".

Ryan didn't like the sound of this. Thanks to his OCD, he would probably spend the remainder of the morning and possibly the rest of the day cleaning out his new desk. "Gee, thanks. I'm going to go and get the stuff out of my locker so I can properly clean out my new desk". He knew that he had a few cleaning supplies in his locker, but he hoped that Katie wouldn't ask him why he kept so many here at the station. He didn't really want to tell her about his OCD on his first day.

Katie watched Ryan walk out of the room. She didn't know much about him except for what the lieutenant had told her, but she could tell that she was going to get along with him quite well. It would be nice to share the office with someone else again, especially one who was so cute.

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As Ryan left the little office in the basement he thought that he was probably going to like the seclusion from the rest of the CSI he worked with. He was not exactly at the top of their list of favorite things around here. Maybe time was all that was needed for them to forget about him and for him to forget about how much he was going to miss them.

As he headed to the locker room to clean out his locker, he was really hoping to get in and out before anyone saw him. He didn't know what Horatio had told them and he was in no mood to find out. As he opened the door to the room he was happy to see it was empty. He headed over to his locker and opened it. As he was pulling out the cleaning supplies he heard the door opened. He really wanted to pretend he hadn't heard the door. Maybe they would just leave him alone, but this was not to be the case.

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Eric had walked into the locker room in a bad mood. As he looked around the room he saw the source of his bad mood standing at his locker. "Hey Wolfe, where were you this morning? You were supposed to come and help me process a crime scene". He didn't try to hide the irritation in his voice.

Ryan thought about just ignoring him, but he could tell from the tone in Eric's voice that this would not be the best course of action to take. "I was on my way to the crime scene, but Horatio stopped to talk to me". He figured that they all knew he had been reassigned, but he couldn't figure out why Eric was so pissed that he hadn't showed. Maybe Horatio failed to mention that the new assignment was starting today.

Eric wasn't impressed with Ryan's answer. "He couldn't have been talking to you all morning. Why didn't you come after he was done?"

This is exactly what Ryan had been hoping to avoid, but here he was getting yelled at by Eric for something he thought Horatio had promised to take care of. He guessed that Horatio was in such a hurry to get rid of him that he thought it was ok for Ryan to be the one to explain to the other CSI why he was no longer working with them. This really made him mad and he lashed out at Eric, "Maybe I had something to do and didn't have time to call you. It's not like you have never pulled this kind of stunt on a case I was working on". Once he finished he instantly regretted losing his temper. He could tell by the look on Eric's face that he was not happy with this answer.

"You know Wolfe, if you don't want to be a team player and help out the people you work with, then you might as well just leave".

"Look, I don't need to take this from you. Contrary to what you believe, I am a team player and I have always been willing to lay my life on the line to save one of my own. I don't need this crap from you or anyone. If you want me gone, well your wish has been granted, but it's not like you didn't already know this". There was no going back for Ryan now. He was too pissed to calm down now. He slammed his locker shut and grabbed the few things that he had put on the bench behind him and stormed out of the room. He decided he would come back when he knew no one would be around. He headed back to his new department and hoped that this day would not get any worse that it already was.


	4. Chapter 4

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Calleigh had been on her way to find Eric when she saw Ryan come rushing out of the locker room. She wanted to say something to him but could tell he was in a hurry so she let him walk away. As she entered the room she found Eric in there and assumed this was the reason for Ryan's departure.

"Hey Eric, I saw Ryan come rushing out of here, did you 2 have a fight again?"

Eric looked up and smiled at Calleigh, "Hi Calleigh. And to answer your question, no we did not have a fight. All I did was come in here and ask him where he was this morning. He didn't show up to my crime scene to help out".

"Oh, you didn't hear, Horatio reassigned him to another department today. I thought he told you". Calleigh couldn't understand why Horatio had failed to tell Eric, but if Eric didn't know this when he talked to Ryan she could just imagine this had something to do with Ryan rushing out of here.

"No, H didn't tell me anything, but neither did Ryan". Eric was a little annoyed that no one had told him. He may not have given Ryan such a hard time.

"Well if Ryan had told you would it have made any difference"? Calleigh knew Eric enough to know what the answer was.

Eric smirked at Calleigh as she said this, "it might have, but that is not the point. Ryan was once again withholding information and he wonders why no one trusts him".

Calleigh had been just as mad at Ryan when he had withheld evidence, but she eventually got over it and was now feeling that Eric was being too hard on him "Now Eric, be nice".

"What department did he get reassigned to anyway?" Eric was guessing he was busted down to patrol again.

"He was put in the cold case department".

Eric had an odd look of satisfaction on his face as he said "Oh, I get it, Horatio put him in that department so he couldn't screw around with the evidence since it has already been collected and cataloged".

Calleigh just shook her head at Eric's statement before saying "Eric, I told you to be nice. Actually I am not sure why Horatio chose that department. When I tried to ask he just changed the subject".

"Is his assignment going to be permanent then?" Eric didn't know if she would have been told this information, but it was worth asking.

"He didn't say. He just told me that Ryan would be unavailable to us for awhile". Calleigh didn't really know and didn't want to waste time speculating with Eric so she changed the subject "So the reason I came in here was to look for you. Are you busy later; I thought we could go out for dinner.

Eric smiled again at Calleigh, "I'm all yours tonight". He could see by the look on Calleigh's face that she liked his response.

Now that Calleigh had planned her evening out, she needed to go and find Horatio and have a talk about what happened between Eric and Ryan. She didn't think it was fair that Eric didn't know and had taken out his anger on Ryan when it was uncalled for. She didn't think something like this was good for mending their relationship with Ryan. She also thought she should go and find Ryan and see how his new assignment was. She didn't want to make him think he was being kicked off their team, even though all the evidence seemed to point in that direction.

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Author's note: I know this chapter is short, but I needed to get some of the minor fluff out of the way so that Ryan's new assignment can truly begin.


	5. Chapter 5

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It had taken Ryan most of the day to get his new desk cleaned out. Katie was not kidding when she told him the previous owner had been a slob. He was sure he could have taken some swabs from the desk and grown some very interesting cultures, but that was not why he was here. He just needed a clean desk to sit behind and start working on his new case; or rather in this case his new old case. Katie had said it was 10 years old so it had been sitting untouched for awhile.

He had already been at work for 7 hours and he didn't know if it was worth the effort to start looking at the case. Katie had already left and she told him to leave when he was done. He decided that one more day wouldn't make much of a difference on a 10 year old murder.

Ryan looked at his watch before shutting out the light to his office and decided that now would be a good time to get the rest of his stuff out of his locker. He knew that most of first shift would have already left for the day and he shouldn't run into anyone he didn't want to.

It didn't take long for him to clean out everything in his locker and soon he was heading toward his car. He was glad that he didn't run into anyone he knew. If fact he had not seen a soul until he walked out to the parking lot. He didn't know the 2 people who were having a discussion by their car that well, but he still didn't want to talk to anyone. He took the long way to his car and was able to get in without them noticing him.

As he drove out of the parking lot he didn't really know what he wanted to do so he decided to head to the store to pick up a few items for dinner and then just sit down in front of the television and catch the news.

It hadn't taken long in the store since Ryan didn't really have enough money on him. Once he arrived home he checked his mailbox and carried his one bag of groceries into his condo. As he set the bag on the kitchen counter he saw that his answering machine was flashing, but he didn't really feel like listening to the message. As far as he was concerned he was free of the phone and he no longer had to make sure he was available for the next case. This would take some getting used to, but he was sure he could handle it.

After Ryan put his food away he started making his dinner. It wasn't much, but peanut butter and jelly always made him feel better when he was feeling down. Plus it was cheap. Now that he had moved to another department he assumed his pay would be less and he didn't know how much more he could afford on a lower budget. He was already paying off his debts and never had much extra money left. He guessed he better get used to sandwiches for awhile.

As he sat down with his food and water he turned on the TV and caught the tail end of the news. They had mentioned something about the case he was originally supposed to have been on, but he missed most of it was grateful. He needed to get that part of his life out of his mind if he was to start fresh in the morning. After he finished dinner he decided to just turn in for the night. It was kind of early, but he felt drained after the day's events.

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Ryan woke up early and was eager to get to work and start on his new case. He showered, got dressed and made himself some toast and coffee. Before he left he made sure he cleaned up the bathroom and kitchen. He really hated coming home to a dirty house.

As he pulled into the parking lot at work he made sure to park closer to the end of the building where his new office was. There was a back way in and this suited him just fine since it would help avoid running into anyone. He knew he couldn't avoid everyone and would eventually have to talk to them, but he just didn't want to right now.

As he entered the office he saw that Katie had not yet arrived. He sat down behind his desk and opened the box to find out what his assignment was. In the box were several folders and a few sealed envelopes. He remembered Katie had said something about there being other boxes, but he would get them later. This box was the one that cataloged the crime and gave details of what the other boxes contained so it was the best place to start.

He pulled out the main folder and started reading. The crime involved a family where the dad had been accused of murdering his wife and 2 kids, but there was lack of evidence to convict the father so he was never sentenced. It also said that while they found the bodies of the wife and one of the children they never could find the body of the second child. There had been several theories but none of them panned out. He had to wonder why Horatio had chosen this one for him. As he read more of the case he came across something that might explain why this case was chosen for him. Horatio was one of the investigators on the case. Ryan had to wonder if Horatio wanted him to solve this case since he obviously couldn't, but his thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Katie.

"Hi Ryan, you're here early". She smiled at him as she set her bag down on her desk.

Ryan smiled back "Hi Katie, I was just anxious to get started on my new case so I got up early".

Katie had to wonder if this was the truth. She thought the real reason was that he probably wanted to avoid running into anyone, but she wasn't going to mention it "so what do you think of your first case".

"Well, it looks like it is going to keep me busy for awhile. You said that Horatio had picked this case for me, did he say why he wanted this particular case?"

Katie knew he was going to ask this when he saw the case. She had briefly looked at it after talking to Horatio and saw that it was one of his unsolved cases, "No, he never told me why he chose this case, but I assume you must be asking because it was one of the cases he worked on".

"I noticed it and it seemed kind of odd. But it's probably just a coincidence. It looks like a good case to start on". He didn't know if she knew the truth or not, but he wasn't going to push the matter. If he was to work with her, he needed to start out on the right foot.

"Well I am glad to hear that. If you need any help getting started just let me know. I remember the first cold case I worked on. I wasted more time trying to figure out where to start, that I had to wonder if this was the right job for me. But it got easier once I started on my second case. But there is one thing you need to keep in mind. Not every case is meant to be solved so don't let it get you down if you don't get this one figured out. There will always be more cases to work on.

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Author's note: Hope you liked it. Thanks to everyone who has written me a review so far.


	6. Chapter 6

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Just as Katie had anticipated he didn't have a clue where to start, but he didn't want her help just yet.

Ryan turned on the computer that was at his desk. As he waited several minutes for it to start up he quickly came to the conclusion that this department was not on a priority list receive new equipment. This computer was old and outdated when compared to what he was use to using in the lab. But it was all he had to work with and it would have to do. He made a mental note to try and upgrade some of the programming.

From what he found documented in the crime file, he used the computer to create a virtual timeline and a list of every known person to have had any association with the family or the crime. The next thing he wanted to do was to scan in the crime scene pictures so that he could view them easier, but when he looked for a scanner he couldn't find one.

Ryan got up from his desk and went over to ask Katie "Hey, do you have a scanner in here; I want to scan in some crime photos".

Katie looked up from what she was doing "No, sorry, they didn't think we needed one down here. We have to use the one in the crime lab". She figured there were other ones he could use, but she only knew of the one in the crime lab since it was the one she used on occasion. "There is probably another one we can use, but if you like I can go and scan the photos for you". She assumed he would feel strange having to go back to the lab.

He smiled at her, "No, I can scan them, but thanks for the offer". Ryan didn't really want to go up to the lab for fear of running into anyone, but he knew he would have to get over this and show them that he didn't mind his new assignment. He didn't want them to think they had beaten him over what he had done.

Ryan looked at his watch and saw that it was lunch time; he wondered where the time had gone "I think I'll go and get a bite to eat for lunch and then I can go make my scans. Do you want me to bring you back anything?"

"No thanks Ryan, I will probably be gone when you get back. I have a lead on my case that I need to go and check out, but thanks for the offer". She turned away from Ryan's gaze and went back to what she had been working on.

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Ryan walked out of the office and headed toward the stairs that would lead him outside. He really didn't know what he was going to do for lunch. He didn't want to waste money on eating out so he decided to head home for a quick sandwich. Home was not that close, but if Katie was not going to in the office when he got back then she would never know how long he took for lunch. He would just work into second shift to make up any hours. This would also be a good time to go and use the scanner in the lab.

As soon as he got home, he made himself another peanut butter and jelly sandwich and poured himself a glass of milk. He made a mental note to stop and pick up more milk on his way home tonight since he poured the last of it in his glass.

It was a beautiful day so he decided to sit out on his balcony while he ate. He felt he needed some air since his new office was lacking any fresh air. As he ate he watched the people who lived in his building go about their daily business. It wasn't long before he caught himself daydreaming so he forced himself to go back inside and clean up his plate and glass. According to the clock he had been gone for at least an hour and it would take another 25 minutes to get to work. It was time to get back to work.

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As he drove into the parking lot he parked his car in the same spot he had used earlier. The parking lot didn't look as full as it did before he left so he figured second shift was starting soon. There were still plenty of people he knew on this shift, but they would probably leave him alone.

He went back to his office and found that Katie had left. He saw that she had left a note on his computer screen. It said '_Hi Ryan, I went out to check on some leads and won't be back until tomorrow morning. If you need me call me_'. Ryan put her number into his phone so he could throw the note away.

He sat down at his desk and found his pictures right where he had left them. He looked at them again and wondered if there were any other pictures in the 3 other boxes. It would make sense to scan them all at the same time so he didn't have to keep going back up the lab. He checked the log book to see where the boxes were and then grabbed the keys to their evidence room.

As he entered the room he quickly found the boxes he needed. He had seen a cart when he entered the room and went back to get it. He didn't think he would be able to carry all 3 boxes in one trip so the cart would come in handy. When he grabbed the first box he was a little disgusted by all the dust that had been allowed to collect on it. As he grabbed for the second box he found himself sneezing; oh how he hated dust. It was a terror with his allergies and this was part of the reason why he cleaned so much. As soon as he got the third box he knew he had to get some fresh air before he sneezed a lung out.

One he was in the hallway he took a deep breath of the air. He felt another sneeze coming but as he waited, nothing came out. Well he was glad that was over. He pushed the cart back to the office.

Once he was back in the office he was careful not to stir up the dust on the boxes again. He used some water from the water bottle he had brought from home to saturate a paper towel and used it to wipe of the dust on the boxes. At least it he wouldn't start sneezing again.

He looked inside each box and was glad he had gone to get them before going up to the lab. He found several more pictures in each of the boxes. He also noticed that each one of them had a number on the back to signify the order it was taken. This would make the scanning go a lot faster. Before he left he put the pictures in order, but was surprised to see that he was missing 4 of them. According to the file there should be 78 pictures that were taken of the crime scene, but he only had 74. He looked in the boxes to see if he had missed any, but he didn't see any. He also noted that the missing pictures were ones that had been taken together; he was missing the ones numbered 55, 56, 57 and 58. He would have to ask Katie about the missing photos in the morning, but he figured he could still scan the ones that he had.

As he made his way up to the crime lab he saw a few people he knew, but luckily they didn't pay any attention to him. He didn't really know how much they knew, but the less interaction with these people the better.

Once he got to the lab, he was grateful to find it empty. He went over to the scanner and was happy to see his password still worked. He started to scan the pictures and was done before he knew it. He was glad that no one had come into the lab while he was here.

As he left the room he found his luck had run out. He turned the corner and ran right into Calleigh. He tried not to look at her and wanted her to think he had not seen her, but it was too late.

"Ryan, what are you doing here?" Calleigh had not expected to find Ryan here at this time of night and was surprised she had run into him, but she was happy she had. She had wanted to talk to him after hearing about his new assignment.

Ryan took the statement from Calleigh the wrong way and there was a hint of annoyance in his voice as he responded "Why wouldn't I be here, I still work here ya know".

It didn't take Calleigh long to realize she had said the wrong thing "No, I didn't mean it that way…"

Ryan cut her off before she could finish her sentence "I've got a lot of work to do so if you will excuse me I really must get back to my desk". He never even gave her a chance to finish what she was trying to say. He knew what she meant and he didn't really want to talk about it. He wanted to look back to see the look on his face, but he thought it was best to get back down stairs as soon as he could.

As soon as Ryan got back to his desk he saw that the phone he had left on his desk had a missed call. He looked at it and saw that it was Calleigh. She must have tried to call him after he walked away from her. He knew he would eventually have to talk to her, but he just wasn't ready yet.

Ryan got to work and started uploading the scanned photos into the timeline he had created. He was quite impressed by what he could do on this dinosaur of a computer. He felt a big yawn coming and he realized he was getting a little tire.

He looked at his watch and saw that it was 10:30pm. Wow, he stayed here longer than he wanted to. It was time to go back home and get some rest. Tomorrow was another day and this case wasn't going anywhere.

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**Author's note**: I know this chapter was kind of boring, but I am just trying to establish his new life in this department and want to take it slow. There will be more exciting things coming in future chapters so I hope you are willing to sit along for the ride.

A big thanks goes out to everyone who has blessed me with a review for my previous chapters. I am sorry this chapter took so long to get out, but I was busy finishing my other story.


	7. Chapter 7

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Ryan woke up feeling quite refreshed. It was day 3 of his new job and he was actually looking forward to working on the case he was assigned.

After his shower he made himself some eggs for breakfast. He had to settle for orange juice though since he forgot to stop off at the store last night to pick up milk. He told himself to remember tonight, which should not be to hard since he didn't intend to work as late as he did last night.

As soon as he finished cleaning up the kitchen he was in his car on his way to work. He popped in his Metallica CD into his player and turned it up. He always liked listening to this music when he was in a particular mood, but he didn't like to share this information with anyone because they probably would not believe he was into this kind of music.

Just as his favorite song finished he found himself pulling up into the parking lot. He once again found his same parking spot and quickly walked into the building to avoid running into anyone he knew.

----

Ryan had a big smile on his face when he saw Katie sitting at her desk. "Good Morning Katie". For some reason he liked working with her and thought they could be really good friends. He didn't know why he felt like this, but there was just something about her that he found appealing.

Katie looked up at Ryan and gave him a big smile back "Well good morning to you. It looks like you're in a good mood today". She was happy to see him in this mood. It made working in this little office a little more tolerable. She also liked to see him smile; he had a great smile, one that she could get used to looking at on a daily basis.

"So Katie, I was looking at the evidence and I saw that some of the pictures from the crime scene were missing. Do you have any idea where I might find them?"

Katie looked a little miffed at this "No, they should all be in the evidence boxes. Are you sure you looked through everything?"

"Yes, I looked through the boxes twice. Each of the pictures had a number on the back indicating the sequence it was shot so I even know which photos are missing".

"It's odd to have something truly go missing, but not unheard of. Did you look at the back of the log book? They sometimes note when something is missing or out of order before putting the boxes away in the storage room". Katie tried to give Ryan a hopeful look, but she knew that it was very hard to work on cases that were this old, let alone find missing evidence.

"I don't remember seeing anything, but I have to admit that I didn't look that closely at the back of the log book to know for sure. I'll take a look again, thanks Katie". Ryan took he seat behind his desk and reached for the log book.

As Ryan skimmed through the end of the book he found a small section that he had missed before. He found that it did in fact document the four missing pictures. Per the notes it stated that the pictures were found to have been missing early in the investigation. The department had taken all the correct steps to locate the missing pictures, but in the end, the loss of the items was attributed to unknown human error. One last note stated that it was unknown if the missing photos were the contributing factor in failing to get a conviction for the father since they were not sure what images were on the photos. Ryan looked at the signature of the person who had documented the information and saw that it had been Horatio. He knew he would have to talk to Horatio about the case at some point, but he wanted to get a few more facts together before he did that.

Ryan looked up and saw that Katie had gotten up from her desk. It looked like she was getting ready to go somewhere "Thanks for the tip on where to look for the missing pictures. There was a small section that acknowledged the loss of the photos". Ryan stood up before he continued talking "So it looks like you're going out. Were the leads you followed up on yesterday successful?"

"Yes, they were, but I need to go out and talk to someone else today. It will probably take the rest of my day so don't expect to see me back in town until later tonight". She turned and looked at Ryan, "But I was wondering, do you want to meet somewhere for a drink after work?"

"Maybe", Ryan was not sure if he really wanted to go out tonight.

"Well if you change your mind you can meet me at 'CB's' at around 7". She picked her stuff up and started walking toward the door when she turned back and looked at Ryan "One more thing, please make sure you leave on time tonight, it's not healthy to be working long hours every day". She had found out from one of her friends on second shift that Ryan had left work sometime after 10. She often worked long hours as well, but she thought that Ryan did not need to start doing this so early in the job.

Ryan had a guilty look on his face "I promise I will leave at a normal time tonight. Maybe I'll see you later". Ryan watched as Katie left the room; he was again alone in the office. He had to wonder if his job would mean hours of time alone.

-

Ryan went back to his computer and started to build a profile of the family involved in the crime he was working on. The victims sited in the crime were Marcia Paige (mother – age 37 – found shot to death in the backyard); Mason Paige (son – age 11 – found shot to death in the backyard) and Allison Paige (daughter – age 8 – body was never found but evidence suggested she was dead). The father who was never convicted was Ronald Paige (age 39). Much of the information that Ryan found had come from the court transcripts that were recorded during the trial, but the rest of it were people's personal notes. He didn't know why some of the information didn't make it to the trial, but he thought it was because they were either unproven facts or someone decided they had no bearing on the case. Either way, he was going to include all the information he found in his profile. If years on the job have taught him anything, first impressions on a case were often correct; as long as they could be proven.

Ryan typed the following information into the profile he had already started: _Ronald and Marcia were married for 12 years and they had Mason shortly after the wedding, so it was thought the marriage only occurred because of the pregnancy with Mason. They had Allison 4 years after being married, but once again it was thought the pregnancy was only an attempt to strengthen the marriage; Ronald and Allison had been seeing a marriage therapist around the time of conception._ _Ronald came from a family well connected with the mob. Ronald was a vice president at a local bank, but he also had dealing with the mob; it was thought they were preparing him to take over his father's position but there was no proof. Marcia was raised by her uncle after her parents died when she was only 4. Ronald insisted that an intruder had murdered his family and that he only found them after the fact. Ronald had an air tight alibi on the day of the murders, but it was thought the mob had something to do with it. Ronald never believed that his daughter was dead and continued to look for her after the trial. _

After Ryan had finished typing the information into the computer he realized that it was already 1 in the afternoon and he was hungry. He hadn't brought anything with him to eat, but he didn't really want to drive all the way home again. His only alternative was to check out the vending machines in the staff lounge. He didn't really like vending machine food, but he was hungry and could think of no other alternative. He had done this on numerous occasions before, but he told himself to bring lunch tomorrow and everyday afterward so he would not have to do it again.

After digging out a few dollars from his wallet he walked up the stairs and down the hallway to the staff lounge. Since it was after 1 in the afternoon he was hoping everyone had already eaten and he would have the room to himself.

As soon as he entered the room he saw that it empty. He walked over to the 3 machines holding various types of food. In one there were sandwiches and other microwavable items inside. He knew that this one could sometimes hold a few good items that were ok to eat, but it looked pretty empty today. As he pressed the button and watched the food go around he stopped when he saw what he was looking for. It was a microwavable cup of chicken soup that he had eaten before so he knew it was at least edible. After putting his money in and retrieving the item he went over to the second vending machine and decided to get the bag of unsalted peanuts; these were at least something he really liked and it would hold him until dinner. He decided to skip the third vending machine since it contained all forms of soda pop. He would just grab some water back at his desk.

As he was using the rooms microwave to heat up his soup he heard a few people talking and looked around just in time to see Natalia and someone from DNA walking in. He turned his back to them and hoped they would just leave him alone but it was too late.

Natalia had noticed Ryan immediately upon entering the room. She had not talked to him in several days, but quite frankly she didn't really know what to say to him after hearing of his transfer. She knew he had seen though so she didn't want to ignore him. "Hi Ryan".

Ryan turned around again "Hi Natalia". He didn't really want to start a conversation.

"How have you been?" It was small talk, but Natalia could not think of anything else to say.

Ryan gave her a half smile "I've been good, how about you?"

"I've been good too" was all she could think to say. She really wanted to ask him about his new job, but she didn't know if he would be willing to talk about it. She knew he was probably not happy about the new job, if it had been her, she knew she would not have been.

"That's great, I'm glad to hear that". As Ryan stood there thinking of what else to say he suddenly heard the microwave's bell go off indicating his soup was done. He was saved by the bell. "Well, it was good talking to you, but I really don't want my soup to get cold and I need to get back to work". He grabbed his stuff and walked out of the room.

Natalia watched him go and felt kind of sorry for him. But then again she felt Ryan was lucky to still have a job here after what he had done. Ryan knew what he was doing and knew the consequences of his actions. But she still wished she had been able to talk to him longer. She would talk to Calleigh about this when she met her later that night at CB's.

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After finishing his lunch Ryan decided to check on the whereabouts of some of the people listed in the paperwork. He thought that talking to anyone associated with the case would be a good start.

He had found that many of the Paige's neighbors were still living in the same house so that was at least good news. He really needed some after finding out that Ronald Paige had died about 2 months ago. He thought it was a strange coincidence that he was put on this case shortly after the main suspect died. But he was sure that was all it was, just an odd coincident.

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Author's Note: Yes, this was not a very exciting chapter, but I thought I would provide some more information on the case Ryan was working on.


	8. Chapter 8

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Ryan had worked the rest of the afternoon lining up some interviews with people that had known the Paige family. Tomorrow he was planning on driving to the neighborhood to speak with 3 people that lived on the same block and then he was off to talk to the lawyer who had tried to get Ronald Paige convicted. There were other people on his list but he was having trouble getting a hold of them so he thought the 4 he had so far was a good start.

He looked at his watch and saw that it was 6:30. He promised not to stay late but the time managed to slip away. He figured if he left now he would be able to meet Katie at CB's and have just one drink. After working all day a drink sounded good and Katie would provide good company. He just hoped she didn't think this was anything more than just a drink with a friend. He liked her but he didn't want to lead her on. He was not ready for any kind of relationship right now.

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Ryan arrived at CB's at 7:15 and found the last parking space. He was surprised at how busy the place was. He had never been here but he had heard Natalia and Calleigh talking about it enough to know it was a popular place.

He walked into the place and started to look around for Katie. The place was mobbed and the music was loud. This really was not his kind of place but it felt good to go out. He walked around some of the tables before he finally spotted Katie sitting at one of the tables by the wall. He walked up to the table and was surprised to see how different she looked. She was wearing a very nice fitting dress that was the color of a sunset. He also noticed that she was wearing her hair differently; it was hanging off her shoulders and it made her look a lot more attractive. But he had to remind himself that he didn't want to start anything. He was just here for a drink. "Hi Katie".

Katie looked up to see Ryan standing there. She was so happy he made it that she got up and gave him a great big hug "Hi Ryan, I'm glad you came. To be honest, I didn't think you would show up". She gave him one more squeeze before letting him go and sitting back down.

Ryan took the seat opposite Katie "Wow, this place is busy tonight, do you come here often".

"Not really, but when I want a place to get lost in and have a nice drink this is where I go". She used her hand to flag down one of the waiters. "So what do you want to drink, I'm buying".

Ryan didn't have much cash on him so he was glad she was buying "I'll have a beer".

Katie gave the waiter the order and looked back at Ryan "so how is your case going?"

"It's going slow, but I have some people to interview tomorrow". The waiter had brought his beer over by now so he picked it up and took a big sip.

"That's great Ryan. So how do you like the job so far?"

"I think I am going to like it, but it is weird not having all the equipment I was able to use on other cases. I suppose I will get use to it". He missed his old job, but so far he was satisfied with his new one.

Katie took a sip of her drink before replying "I'm glad to hear that. It's nice to have someone to talk to again".

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As the two of them sat there talking for awhile Ryan saw someone he recognized. It was Natalia walking toward a table somewhere in the middle of the crowd. As he strained to see which table Natalia had stopped at, he saw that it was a table where someone else he recognized was sitting; Calleigh.

Ryan didn't think she saw him but those two ladies were the last people he wanted to run into tonight. He lowered his head and tried to make sure he was not seen.

Katie noticed Ryan's change in posture and had to wonder what was up. Only a second ago he had looked over her head and obviously saw something that bothered him. She looked behind herself to see what caught his eye. She didn't see anything at first, but as she was turning her attention back to Ryan she finally saw what he had seen. It was 2 of the ladies that worked in the crime lab. She didn't know their names but she recognized them.

Katie tried to get his mind off of them "So, do you want another drink, I'm still buying?"

Ryan looked down at his beer "No, I really only came here for one drink. I don't like to drink too much if I'm driving home".

"That's your loss; I don't offer to buy the drinks too often". She smiled at him but noticed he was no longer paying her any attention. He was too busy looking over her shoulder again and frowning.

Ryan tried to concentrate on what Katie was saying but he couldn't help but notice that Calleigh and Natalia were walking toward his table. He really had to hope that they were just using the restrooms and had to walk this way to do it. As he tried to look like he was engaged in a private conversation with Katie he knew it was no use. They had seen him.

"HI Ryan, I never would have thought this was your kind of place to get a drink" Calleigh gave Ryan a big smile and then looked at Katie "Hi, you're Katie right?"

Katie looked at Calleigh "Yes, but I have to admit I don't know your name".

"It's Calleigh and this is Natalia. We both worked with Ryan". Calleigh noticed the look on Ryan's face after she had used the word 'worked' and wished she had not put it like that.

Katie also noticed the usage of words but pretended like she didn't hear it "Nice to meet the both of you. I never get a chance to talk to people from the lab since I am stuck in the basement".

Calleigh looked back at Ryan, "So Ryan you have been avoiding me, but not tonight". She sat down next to him "so how have you been, I have really missed you".

Ryan thought she sounded like she had already had a few too many drinks "I haven't been trying to avoid you; I just wanted to get settled in my new office". He didn't know if she would buy this or not, but it was all he could think to say.

"No, tell me the truth Ryan, you haven't returned my calls and every time you saw me you went the other way". Calleigh was smirking when she said this. She was just messing with him and hoped he knew that.

Ryan saw the smirk but didn't feel like playing along "I'm sorry, I just didn't have time to return your calls" he actually didn't know about any calls but then again he never checked his messages since moving to his new department "and if you thought I was walking away from you I honestly never saw you". He knew she would not buy this excuse but it was better than telling her the truth.

Calleigh stopped smirking and gave him a pat on his arm, "Alright, if that's your story than I guess I'll have to buy it. So can I buy you a drink, it looks like you are almost out". She motioned to his almost empty glass of beer.

"No thanks, I really have to be going; I have a busy day tomorrow". He was beginning to wish he had just gone straight home after work.

Natalia decided to join in "Oh yeah, how is your new job going?"

"It's going really well, I think I am going to like working with Katie". He turned and looked at Katie.

Natalia looked over at Katie and then back again to Ryan "You're working on cold cases right, so which case did you get?"

Ryan was starting to feel uncomfortable with this particular topic of conversation "I just started looking into the case so I can't really tell you much".

"Oh, that's ok Ryan. I remember looking over cold cases when I first started at the lab doing DNA tests. Some of those cases can be very interesting, but the older they are the harder they are to solve". Natalia picked up her glass and took a sip.

Katie could tell that these women really cared about Ryan, but she could also tell this encounter was very hard on him. "Well, maybe we will have to do this again soon and talk about our old cases, but Ryan said he would give me a ride home tonight and I really do need to go". Katie looked at Ryan and tried to give him the signal to just play along.

Ryan got the message loud and clear and was grateful "Yes, I did promise to give Katie a ride home so if you will excuse us we really should be going". He got up and waited for Katie to get up. Once she was up he turned his attention to Calleigh and Natalia "It was good to see you, maybe we can do this again".

Ryan headed toward the exit and looked back to see Katie following him. He would have to thank her for getting him out of here.

Once they reached the parking lot he looked at Katie and found that she was right beside him. It didn't take him long to realize that she was standing very close to him. He also couldn't help but notice how good she smelled. He would have loved to have leaned over and kissed her, but he had to remember he was not looking for a relationship, plus she was his new coworker. "I want to thank you for getting me out of there".

Katie gave Ryan a big warm smile "No problem, I could tell you were really uncomfortable in there. Well, I don't really need a ride home, but I thought it sounded like a good excuse. So the night is still young, do you want to go somewhere else?"

"No, I think I am just going to call it a night. I am feeling a bit tired tonight and I want to get an early start tomorrow". Ryan dug his keys out of his pocket and pushed the unlock button on his key ring. "So I guess I will see you tomorrow then".

"Yes, I will see you tomorrow. Things will get easier, I promise". She didn't know why she said that, but he looked so vulnerable right at that moment. She had a thing for men who needed rescuing. Before she realized what she was doing she found her lips hungrily kissing Ryan's lips. It was a quick kiss that she wished could have lasted longer, but she pulled herself away and quickly walked in the direction of her car.

Ryan was stunned by the kiss and just stood there watching Katie walk away. He enjoyed the quick kiss, but he was determined to not let it go any further.

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Author's Note: I have not yet decided if there will be any romance in this story, but for some reason I thought a little kiss wouldn't hurt. Also this story really didn't have much to do with the overall story plot, but a little fluff was needed to further establish Ryan's new life. Next few chapters will get more into what I intended this story to be about.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

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After arriving home from the club Ryan had a hard time getting to sleep. He kept thinking about Katie and the kiss she had given him. He enjoyed it but he had to set things straight with her in the morning. He only wanted to do his job and be friends.

He went into the living room and turned on the late show hoping it would make him fall asleep. He was looking at the TV, but he wasn't really watching it. Instead he just sat there thinking about the events that led him to his new position. The last few days he had to wonder if he was even going to stay in Miami or find a place where he could start a fresh new life; he heard New York might be a good place to live. He figured he would decide once he completed this case. As he thought about it he fell asleep on the couch.

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Ryan woke with a pain in his back. As he opened his eyes he remembered where he was and why his back hurt. He never liked sleeping on his couch, but that is exactly where he spent the night. As he sat up he had to stretch the kinks out of his back before standing up. Once he was up he looked at the clock on the mantel and saw that it was 6 in the morning. That meant he had gotten only 5 hours of sleep, but it would have to be enough since he had to get ready for work. He had planned on talking to some of the Paige's neighbors today to find out more about the case so he had a full day and couldn't waste time.

As Ryan showered and got dressed for work, he tried to think about how to approach Katie. He really wanted to talk to her and let her know he thought she was a good friend and that he wasn't interested in anything, but then again he didn't want to make her angry with him in case he took last night all wrong. It wouldn't be the first time he mistook the signals he thought he was feeling from a girl he was out with. He decided he would just wing it when he got there.

As Ryan drove to work he tried to think about the case and the kind of questions he was going to ask the neighbors, but he kept thinking back to Katie. Why was he thinking about her so much if he only wanted to be friends?

As he pulled up into the parking lot he saw Katie's car sitting right next to the space he usually grabbed, so he knew she was already here. As he walked toward the office he started wishing he had told her he was going straight to the area where the Paige family use to live, but it was too late. He was here and standing at the door. As he opened it he wondered what kind of look Katie would give him. Would she just pretend nothing happened last night, or would she be angry with him for leading her on? He had been out with enough women to know that they were very unpredictable.

As he turned the door knob and walked in he was not expecting Katie to be standing there waiting for him. The look on her face was something Ryan was had not anticipated. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought she was up half the night dreading this moment just as much as he was. "Hi Katie, how's it going". This was all he could think to say, but he wasn't able to say anymore because Katie didn't give him a chance.

"Oh Ryan, I don't know what to say about last night except that I never meant to kiss you. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but I get like that when I have had a few drinks in me. I hope you're not mad at me, I really never planned to kiss you, but it just happened. Can we just be friends?" She had been rehearsing this all morning, but had not planned on saying all at once and so quickly. She had to lean against her desk to catch her breath and wait for Ryan's response.

This was so unexpected that Ryan didn't know what to say to Katie except "Yeah sure we can be friends". After he said it he wondered what she thought about his response. He hoped he didn't make himself sound disappointed, but the truth was he was a little disappointed. He wanted to be the one to say they were just friends. Having her say something first almost felt like he was getting dumped; only in this case they had never gone out.

"That's a relief. I was really worried how you were going to take this". Katie felt much better and decided it was time to change the subject, "So today you're doing some field work, how exciting. I always like getting away from the desk".

Ryan was grateful for the change of topic "Yeah, I needed to come and get a few things, but I plan on being gone most of the day. I really hope there is more information to find out".

Katie smiled at this as she was remembering one of her first cases "I know how you feel. I dreaded some of the cases I took on, but the more I worked them the more I realized how much information there really is on some of these old cases. The type of investigations that occurred when some of these crimes occurred was so different than how it's done now that you might just be surprised at what you find. But like I have said before don't expect every case to have an ending. Some cases are just not meant to be solved".

"I hope you're right". Ryan picked up the items he planned on taking with him and left the office. Even though his talk with Katie had not gone the way he thought it would he was glad it was over. Now he could focus on his case.

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As he drove to his destination he thought about the case. The information he had found was somewhat confusing and he was hoping he would get some answers today. Aside from the missing photos, he had found gaps in the documentation so he didn't have a clear picture of what he was looking at. It almost appeared as if someone had deliberately misled the investigation in favor of the father avoiding a conviction. He knew that the father was involved in the mob so he had to wonder if they had anything to do with it. But this was not the focus of his investigation today. Today he just needed to get an accurate picture of what the family was like, what really happened the night of the murders and where the daughter may have been.

Ryan turned on to McAdams Street and didn't have to go far before he found what he was looking for. The house where the murders occurred was very impressive looking. Mr. Paige had obviously provided for his family very well. The whole neighborhood had the look of wealth and he could see why they had trouble getting information from the neighbors at the time of the crime. The type of people that probably lived in those houses would not want to have any part of a murder.

He knew the people who currently lived in the house would have no knowledge of the crime since they didn't live in the area at the time, but he had talked to them and gotten permission to view the area where the crime had occurred. He had seen pictures, but he thought it would be better to see it for himself.

He rang the door bell and waited for someone to answer. As he stood looking around the front of the house the door opened and a middle aged woman came out. He stopped his inspection and went back to the door "Hello, are you Sylvia Kemp?"

The woman made note of Ryan's appearance and didn't perceive him as a threat "Yes, I'm Sylvia Kemp".

"I'm Ryan Wolfe, we talked on the phone the other day".

"Oh yes, Mr. Wolfe, you're here to see the house. I had almost forgotten about you coming today. Come in please". She opened the door all the way and motioned for him to go inside.

Once inside, Ryan saw the house looked even more impressive inside than it did outside. "Wow, this is a really nice house. You said on the phone that you lived here for the past 9 years".

"Yes, the house stood empty for a year after the murders before it was placed on the market. I thought it was weird buying a house where people were killed, but we got such a good deal it was hard to pass up. We even bought some of the furniture that was in the house". She didn't know exactly what he was looking for, but she tended to ramble on when she was nervous.

Ryan smiled at the woman's obvious discomfort "So, after you moved in did you make any renovations to the house, or is this pretty much how it looked when you bought it?"

"I would say the house is pretty much the same way it was when we moved it, with the exception of a new kitchen. The one in the house was so outdated it needed just about everything replaced". Sylvia paused a moment "but there was one thing I remember, when we moved in, the backyard was newly landscaped and the pool house was completely demolished and rebuilt. I remember when we saw the house for the first time how out of place it looked. There was obviously other parts of the house that could have used a facelift so why they had chosen to focus on the backyard is anyone's guess, but I figured it had to do with the murders since they had occurred in the backyard".

After Ryan finished writing down the information he had heard he looked up at Sylvia "so do you think I can have a look around the house and backyard".

"Sure, I don't know what you hope to find, but if it gives you a better idea of the crime scene than that works for me. Why don't we start downstairs and work our way up". She led Ryan to the stairs leading to the basement.

As Ryan looked through the house with Sylvia he had taken pictures of certain parts of the house that had been mentioned in the case. He knew the pictures would not tell him anything but at least he could have a clear idea of what the room or area mentioned in the case looked like. He had also been very impressed with her knowledge of the case "You know you could have been a tour guide. I didn't expect you to know so much about the case but I guess I was wrong".

Sylvia looked a little embarrassed by this "Well, I knew the history of the house when we moved in so I thought it would be interesting to learn more about it. I guess I got a little carried away. Most of the stuff I learned was from the neighbors. They were more than happy to talk about the family".

Ryan was happy to hear this. Maybe he would be able to learn more about the case than he thought.

For the next 2 hours he listened to Sylvia recite all of the information she had found; which luckily included newspaper clippings. By the time he left he had a lot more knowledge on the case and a few new questions to ask the other people on his list. He had a feeling this was going to be a good day.

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Sylvia watched as Ryan walked out to his car. As she stood there looking out the window she picked up the phone and dialed a number. As soon as the person on the other line answered she said "You'll never guess who was here. A cop by the name of Ryan Wolfe has opened up the Paige family murders and is looking to try and solve it". Sylvia listened to the person on the other end and finished the call by saying "Yes, I told him everything that I knew and had learned over the years, but we will need to keep an eye on him to see what else he finds. If he can lead up to the little girl then we can get back what Ronald Paige stole from us".

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Author's Note: Hope you liked this chapter. It's going kind of slow but there should be more drama coming soon. I have made some changes to story line because I realized I was approaching a dead end and didn't know how to get out (I didn't want to give up on the story), but I think the changes will make the story much more interesting I hope.


	10. Chapter 10

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After Ryan had talked to 4 other neighbors who had lived in the area at the time of the murders he headed home. He needed to compile the information he had into his electronic file, but it would have to wait until tomorrow. He was tired and just wanted to go home.

As he drove home he passed a grocery store and remembered that he needed a few things so he decided to stop. As he walked into the all night grocery mart he instantly regretted it. Standing by the door way was Calleigh as she waited for Eric to get one of the grocery carts. This was all he needed. He had done a good job in avoiding everyone with the exception of Calleigh. His first thought was to just walk out the way he came in, but he was blocked by someone else trying to enter the store, so he was forced into the small area where the carts were. His second thought was to just hang back and maybe they wouldn't notice him, but Eric chose that exact time to look in his direction.

The look that Ryan saw on Eric's face was not exactly a friendly one, but it wasn't hostile either. Ryan gave Eric a quick smile and tried to just avoid any confrontation but it was too late.

Obviously Calleigh had noticed Eric's face and turned to see what he was looking at. "Hi Ryan, I didn't think this is where you did your grocery shopping?"

He was busted and knew there was not getting out of here now, but he was grateful to see the Eric had started pushing their cart into the store leaving Calleigh behind to talk to him. "Hey Calleigh, I thought I would pick up a few things and this place looked like a good place to stop". This was not his usual place to shop.

"Oh, were you in the area on business then?" She wasn't trying to be nosy, but realized her question made it sound like she was.

"Yeah, I was on my way home when I saw this place. I was over in the Kinsville area working on a case". Ryan hoped this would be enough to satisfy her curiosity. He really just wanted to get a couple of things and go home.

Calleigh could tell he was becoming uncomfortable, but she was happy to see him "Oh, I've heard of that area. Isn't that where some of those big expensive homes are located?"

"Yeah that's the place". Ryan was starting to fiddle with his keys.

"What case are you working on?"

Ryan needed to end this conversation before he was stuck "You know, I probably shouldn't really talk about the case just yet. I've only just started working on it. I would love to stay and chat, but I really need to get home". He started walking toward the exit of the store but turned back to look at Calleigh "Maybe we can talk another time".

Calleigh noticed he was leaving "Don't you have some shopping to do?"

"I've changed my mind; I can do it another time. See ya later". Ryan walked through the exit door and headed toward his car. As soon as he got into this car he hit his steering wheel extremely hard with the palm of his hand. "Damn, I can't keep doing this". He looked down at his hand and knew he would regret what he did; he could see the early stages of a bruise starting.

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After watching Ryan leave Calleigh went to join Eric, who had already started the shopping. Eric turned to her and saw that she had a disappointed look on her face "Hey is everything alright?"

"Yeah, but I just wish Ryan would talk to me. I know this has been hard on him, but I want him to know we are still friends".

"Well you know he has always had a problem with talking to us, so I don't know why you would be surprised by the way he is acting". Eric had wanted to stay and talk with Ryan, but he was still a little angry with him. But the way he was acting was no better than the way Ryan was acting so he really had no right to complain about it with Calleigh.

Calleigh gave Eric a stern look "Well, you know it goes both ways. When it comes to personal issues, people tend to only want to talk with those they feel comfortable with".

"I know, but let's not allow this to spoil our night. We have quite a few items on our list to pick up yet". He gave Calleigh a quick squeeze around her shoulders before resuming their shopping. He told himself that next time he saw Ryan he would try and mend what was now obviously broken between them. Even though they were not working in the same department they shared the same building and they could still be friends if he was willing.

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Ryan was very annoyed with himself by the time he got home. Why was it every time he ran into one of his previous coworkers he would run away from them. He would like to continue to be friends with them, but he just didn't know how to at this point. He knew he would eventually have to work on this, but now was not the time. He needed to prove to everyone that he was still a good CSI and that he could solve a crime like before.

As he sat down on his couch he started wishing he had not left the grocery store. He didn't really have much to eat in the kitchen and he was hungry. He could go and make a sandwich but decided to just sit there and sort out his notes from earlier in the day. He had gained some new information that he had not found in the case files and he felt like he was making progress.

He had felt very lucky to have found someone who knew a lot about the murders. He had not expected the current owners of the Paige family house to have known so much about the case. It was a little odd however that Sylvia had done some investigation with the neighbors when she and her husband had moved it. He could buy the theory that she was just interested in learning the history of the previous owners, but there was just something about it that he could not quite put his finger on. Some of the information was stuff only a trained investigator would think to ask, not a person out to satisfy their own curiosity.

As Ryan looked at his watch he noticed it was getting late and he should probably go to bed. He expected tomorrow to be a full day sitting at his computer working through all the notes he had gathered. From there he expected to figure out his next game plan; one of which was to talk to Horatio.

Ryan put his stuff down on the table next to couch and wandered into this bedroom. He felt tired but sleep was something he found difficult to attain that night. His mind kept thinking about the case and the run in with his former coworkers.

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When the buzzer went off Ryan reached over and turned off his alarm. He laid there for a few minutes trying to remember when he finally fell asleep. He knew it must have been late because he could already tell he hadn't gotten enough sleep. But it was only Thursday and he needed to get to work. He forced himself to get up and take his shower. After a quick piece of toast and some juice (he had to remind himself once again to stop off at the store and pick up some milk) he was off to the office.

As Ryan arrived in the office he didn't see Katie's car in the parking lot so he had to wonder if she was just running late or if she was out on a case. He didn't have to wait long for the answer. As he sat down at his desk he found a note from Katie indicating she was out for the morning, but would be back after lunch.

Ryan turned on his computer and started to enter in all of the information he had gathered. When he was finished he looked at his computer screen and had to admit he liked what he had come up with. Having everything in the computer was so much easier to look at since it was all in one convenient spot. The last part of his computer file was to put together a list of theories and test them to see how plausible they were. He only had 2 to work with at this point, but it was better than none.

He was starting to really enjoy this case and wondered if the rest the cold cases were this interesting.

When he was finished he had to wonder if Ronald Paige really was guilty after all. From all the evidence and interviews with people, Ronald didn't fit the profile of a killer. It appeared that he loved his family very much and was willing to do anything for them, so why would a man who loved his family want to kill them. It seems like his life started to become difficult when his other family (being the mob) started to demand more of him.

From the evidence that had been collected from the house there was a lot to place Ronald at home at the time of the murders, but he didn't have an alibi until someone mysteriously turned up on the day of his trial. With this persons testimony Ronald was found innocent. He had to wonder if his other family had anything to do with the alibi.

The mob was a powerful group, especially this group. After he looked into them more he had found out they had ties to the current Russian mafia that was in Miami. He remembered the day he found out. He had to wonder if this was why Horatio had chosen this case. But none of that really mattered right now.

His job was to solve the crime and find out who killed the family and where the little girl was and whether or not she was really dead. They had little to go on to prove an actual crime had been committed against the girl, but they also could not find her so they had assumed she was dead. He had decided to focus the rest of his investigation on the girl. If he could find out where she was, this might the evidence to solve the crime.

From what the previous investigation had said, the father had denied any wrong doing and kept insisting he was innocent. He had also made a big deal about finding his daughter who he said was not dead. But none of this was taken seriously. Most people thought he was guilty and that his mob family had paid someone off to prevent him from going to prison.

After a close review of all of the evidence he could see why they had tried to convict Ronald. It was his finger prints on the weapon that killed both his wife and son, plus there was the little girls DNA in the trunk of the family car. But Ronald had said the knife that was used was the one that was used to carve the family roast the week before and as for the DNA in the trunk, his daughter had gotten herself trapped in the trunk when she was playing and while trying to get herself out she had cut herself. The evidence looked very convincing until a video tape brought by his one and only alibi showed he was somewhere else at the time of the murders. The jury had no choice but to let him go. After the trial there was still an investigation that occurred, but if the notes were any indication not much was done. He also had to note that Horatio had removed himself from the second investigation.

Ryan decided it was time to talk to Horatio and find out what he knew. He didn't think he could get any further on the case until he talked to one of the original investigators. He would have talked to someone else who had been on the case, but there was no one left. The other two investigators were either dead or had moved away. It also didn't help that Ronald had died. He was convinced that Ronald was truly innocent, but he knew exactly what happened and was for some reason covering it up.

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Ryan made his way to Horatio's office. He didn't know if he would be in, but he needed to discuss the case and now was as good a time as ever.

As he knocked on the door he waited for a response. Just when he felt he had waited long enough, he heard someone on the other side of the door say "Come in". Well here goes, it was now or never.

Ryan opened the door and saw Horatio was talking on the phone. He was motioned to sit in one the chairs to wait. As he took his seat he waited until Horatio was done.

Horatio hung his phone up and turned his attention to Ryan "Mr. Wolfe, what can I do for you?"

"I need some information on a case you worked on 10 years ago". He didn't really want to waste time with small talk so he had decided to just cut to the reason he was here.

"Yes, that would be the Paige case. I was wondering when you were going to come and talk to me about it". Horatio had been waiting for this. He was glad that Ryan could still come and talk to him. He had the utmost respect for his CSI; he just wished just Ryan felt the same way about himself.

As Ryan talked with Horatio over the next hour he had to wonder if he was being told everything. There seemed to be some holes in the information and he knew it wasn't like Horatio to forget anything. But when they were done he thanked Horatio for his time and was about to excuse himself.

"Wait a minute Mr. Wolfe; I would like to talk to you about your new job before you leave. How do you like it?"

Ryan was not expecting this, but he was willing to answer him "It's ok, I was a little unsure at first, but I think I may have a knack for this kind of work".

"That's good to hear. I want you to come to me if you need anything more for this case. This case may not be what you expect so I want you to be careful". Horatio got up from his desk and opened the door for Ryan.

Ryan had to wonder what Horatio meant by this, but it did tell him one thing; that Horatio did know more, but for some reason he was not telling him. He knew it was no good to keep trying. When Horatio was done talking that was it. "Thanks Horatio, I'll let you know if I need anything more". Ryan walked out of the office and walked back toward his own office.

Ryan had decided his next step was to look into the life of Ronald Paige for the last 10 years to see if there was anything that might help him figure this out. If Ronald's daughter was in fact alive, Ryan was sure that he would have spent the remainder of his life finding her.

Ryan checked out a few things on his computer before leaving. He had originally decided to wait for Katie to get back before leaving but he was eager to start looking at Ronald's life. Something told him that he was on the right track.

As Ryan pulled out of the parking lot and started driving away he failed to notice another car that had left the parking lot at the same time and was now following him.

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Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave me a review to let me know.

Thanks to those of you who have continued to leave your comments.


	11. Chapter 11

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Ryan pulled up to a small apartment building that looked like it hadn't been updated in years. He looked at the address printed in his note pad to make sure he was at the correct place. This was the place alright; it was Ronald Paige's last known address.

Ryan looked around for a front entrance and once he found it he went inside. According to the labels on the mailbox, the manager lived on site and resided in apartment 12.

As Ryan made his way to apartment 12 he took note of the place. It was certainly a huge step down from Ronald's home in Kinsville. Ronald must have had a tough time after the trial. Ryan found the managers apartment at the end of the first floor hallway and knocked on the door.

The door slowly opened up and an older woman in her late 60's appeared "Yes, what can I do for you; if you're here about the vacancy it's been filled".

"No I'm not here for that. I was actually hoping to talk to you about a former tenant Ronald Paige".

The woman had a suspicious look on her face "Why are you asking about him, he's dead you know". The woman paused a moment, "If you're another relative you're too late. I have already sent his stuff to his last known relative".

Ryan pulled out his badge and showed it to the woman, "No, I'm detective Wolfe with the Miami Dade Police department and I have re-opened his family's murder case. I would like to ask you some questions if you don't mind".

The older woman opened the door all the way and stepped outside her doorway "Why would you want to do that".

"It is one of our cold cases that I am re-investigating and hoping to solve. I know that Ronald is dead but I am trying to find out anything about him in the last 10 years. Did you say you already sent his stuff to his last known relative? I wasn't aware he had any".

The woman had a guilty look on her face all of a sudden as she confessed "I just said that because I thought you were another quack trying to make a buck out of the stuff he left behind. I didn't know you were a cop. My name is Greta by the way; would you like to come inside?"

"Sure", Ryan followed Greta into her apartment. As he stepped inside he thought the furnishings looked very out of place. They were a mix of every possible style which made the place look very cluttered and small. "Wow, you sure do have a lot of furniture in here".

Greta looked very pleased with herself "Oh, I collect the furniture that former tenants just leave behind. I haven't had to buy anything in years. So can I get you anything to drink?"

"No thanks, I really just wanted to talk about Ronald. So from what information I have it says he lived here for the last 8 years, is that correct?"

Greta took a seat on one of the 3 couches found in her living room "Yes, he moved in about 8 years ago and lived by himself. He was one of my best tenants, but he was a very private man. It took him several years to trust me".

Ryan could tell this woman was starving for company. She would probably give him some very much needed information for the case. "So, did he ever mention anything about his family?"

"He talked a little about them. He always insisted he was innocent. He use to say that had he been found guilty it was because he was framed".

"What do you mean by that?" Ryan was getting very excited by this conversation.

Greta looked like she regretted telling him so much but since he was a cop she knew she should continue "He talked quite a bit about his other family and said they were to blame for all of his misery. I had asked him if they were still in his life and he said they would stay away from him since he knew too much. He never went into very much detail about them, but after awhile he finally told me who he was talking about".

Ryan couldn't believe she chose now to stop talking. This conversation was getting better by the minute. "Well, who were they then?"

"I don't know if I should tell you anymore. He always warned me about his other family and was very reluctant to tell me anything at first. I think he was just happy to get it off his chest".

Ryan had a feeling he knew who she was referring to "Was it the mob he was talking about. I know he was working with them".

Greta looked grateful that he guessed who they were "Yes, that was who he was talking about. But he seemed to fear for his life when he talked about them. I think he expected the same thing to happen to him as it did to his family".

"You said that you still had his stuff, can I ask what he left behind?" Ryan was hoping there may be some clues in the possessions left behind.

Greta had forgotten all about that "Oh, yes you wanted to look at his things. I have them in the back room, but there is not much to look at. I was keeping them in case he did have family to retrieve it. He always started talking about someone but would stop himself before he said anything more. I always thought there might be someone who was out there who would come one day". Greta left the room and after a few minutes came back with a large box.

"Here, let me help you with that". Ryan took the box and set it down on the table. He opened up the box and saw that Greta was right; there was not much to look at. As he pulled out the items he saw that there was something that looked like a diary. He set that aside and pulled out the remainder of the items and laid it out on the table. As he inspected the contents of the box he saw that there was a checkbook, some books, a few pictures and the book that appeared to be a diary. As he opened it he saw that it was more than a diary, it was his whole life. There were names, addresses, and phone numbers in the first several pages. The rest of the book contained drawings he could only imagine were done by Ronald and what appeared to be short stories.

Greta waited patiently while Ryan looked through the box "So, is there anything in there that will be helpful to your case?"

"Yeah, I think there could be something here. Do you mind if I take the box with me so that I can have a better look?" He knew he had no right to take the stuff without a warrant, but if she was willing to let him have it than he could take it with him.

"Don't you need a warrant or something" Greta had watched enough crime dramas to know this was the routine.

"Yes, I would generally need one, but if you allow me to take it that would be acceptable. Technically this stuff doesn't belong to you either, but per the law you have a right to hold it for 6 months in case a family member shows up". Ryan didn't really want to have to get a warrant but he would if he had to.

"No, I think you can have it. It has just been sitting in my back room gathering dust anyway. Plus I got all of his furniture unless you want to take that away from me too?" She was feeling more relaxed with Ryan and was almost joking about the furniture.

Ryan tried to suppress a smile but failed as he saw one forming on her face "No, you can keep the furniture, I would not want to change your décor". He didn't really know what furniture had belonged to Ronald, but it didn't really matter, he just wanted the box.

"Thank you, but you will let me know if you find anything won't you."

"If I can I promise you will be the first to know. Thanks for hanging on to this stuff in the first place. It may come in handy and help close this case once and for all". Ryan put the stuff back in the box and carried it to the door. He said his good bye and walked back to his car where he put the box next to the driver's seat. It was getting late, but he really didn't want to waste time with sleep. He was eager to see what the box held for the case.

As he drove back to his condo, he once again failed to notice he was being watched. But this time the person chose not to follow him home. Instead they started to make their way to Greta's apartment.

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Author's Note – The pace is starting to pick up in this story, so I am hoping this compels me to finish this story very soon. I'm getting excited for the ending and to see what everyone thinks. Thanks to those of you who have left me a review. I appreciate each and every one of them. Also thanks to everyone who keeps reading the new chapters, even though you don't leave a review, I know you're out there.


	12. Chapter 12

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As soon as Ryan got home he was wide awake. He had some new information to go through and it was all he could think about. He brought the box inside his condo and set it down on his kitchen table. Once he got himself something to eat he went over to the box and started reading the book with all the pictures, stories and other information in it.

Ryan curled up in his recliner and started looking at the pages of the book. He first looked at the pictures that were drawn and thought that Ronald had talent if these pictures were in fact his own creation. They were mostly things of nature drawn on the pages, but there was a young woman found on several of the pages. He wondered who she was, but who ever she was Ronald had been fascinated by her. He did think it was odd that the age of the person changes slightly with each picture. It was almost as if he was drawing them throughout the years as this person was growing up.

Once he was done with the pictures he turned his attention to what looked like short stories. As he looked at them closer he realized they were not short stories at all. What he read was more like he originally thought, entries to a diary, except they were not daily entries. There was no rhyme or reason to the dates, but there was one thing each entry had in common. They all seemed to be observations of a girl. As Ryan read them he began to wonder if the girl mentioned on paper was the same girl drawn in the earlier pages. It all seems to make sense, but the only thing that he couldn't find in the book was who this girl was.

Ryan looked over at the clock on the wall and saw that it was almost midnight. It was getting late and he probably should have headed to bed. Instead he kept looking at the book. He was starting to look at the addresses and phone numbers listed in the beginning of the book. None of them had names with them so he had no idea who they belonged to. He could tell from the area codes that most of the numbers were out of state, but one of them was a local number and for some reason it looked familiar. Ryan tried to think of whom it might belong to and even thought of calling it, but it was late and whoever would be on the other end would probably not appreciate a call. He decided to make some calls in the morning.

Ryan placed the book on the kitchen table next to the other stuff and went to bed.

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Horatio had just arrived at their latest crime scene. It was late in the morning and as usual this was the worst way to start it. He had called Eric and Natalia to the scene so that it could be processed.

Eric arrived first and found H standing in the room where the victim was "So, what do we have here H?"

Horatio gave a sideway glance at Eric before looking back at the body "Eric, this is Greta Talbot and it appears she met the wrong end of a kitchen knife. We don't know much yet, but it appears there was no forced entry".

Eric took in the surroundings before looking back at the body. "I'll start processing the body".

"Please do so Eric; Natalia should be joining you shortly". As soon as Horatio said this his personal cell phone went off. Before he answered it he had to wonder who was calling on this phone. It was one of his personal phones that very few people had the number to. When it rang it usually meant someone was in trouble.

As Horatio retrieved the phone he instantly recognized the number. He answered the phone and said "Mr. Wolfe, I think it's time we talked. I will meet you in your office". Horatio didn't give Ryan a chance to say anything before hanging up.

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Ryan took the phone away from his ear as he heard the other line go silent. He couldn't believe that Ronald Paige had Horatio's cell number in his book. Why would he have this number and what exactly did Horatio know. He was anxious for Horatio to arrive. He had many questions to ask and he just hoped Horatio would be honest in what he knew.

Author's Note – Sorry this was so late, but it is an important part to the story. More to come soon.


	13. Chapter 13

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As Katie entered the office she saw that Ryan was making a call so she put her stuff on her desk to wait to talk to him. As she heard him set his phone down without saying anything she figured whoever he had been trying to reach wasn't there, but when she looked up at him she saw the most confused look on his face. "Is everything OK Ryan?"

The sound of Katie's voice interrupted Ryan's thought and he looked at her in response to her question "Oh, Katie, hi. Yeah everything is ok I think".

Katie felt a little concerned by his remark "What do you mean you think, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure yet, but Horatio is on his way over here and I am hoping that he can provide me with the answers to some of my questions". Ryan still didn't know what to make of it. Why would Horatio have given Ronald his number and why would Ronald have it listed in a book that was obviously very important to him.

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Horatio checked in with Eric and Natalia before leaving. He didn't really know what he was going to say to Ryan yet, but he knew he had to say something. After all, this whole case was his idea and it was time to let Ryan know the whole story. Everything had been going as planned until they had found Greta dead. Her death had been something he had not anticipated and wasn't really sure if it had anything to do with the case, but it was too much of a coincidence to be ignored.

The whole drive over Horatio rehearsed what he was going to say in his head so by the time he arrived at the lab he was ready. He made his way down to Ryan's office and opened to door to find Ryan sitting at his desk looking very anxious. "Mr. Wolfe is there somewhere we can speak privately". He had seen Katie sitting at her desk, but did not want to talk in front of her.

Ryan had stood up quickly when he saw Horatio at the door. "Um yeah, we could talk in our evidence room if you like". He didn't really know where else to go.

Katie had a solution and spoke up "That's ok Ryan, you can have the office. I need to go up to the lab for something anyway. Please take your time". She got up and left the room.

Ryan stood up to face Horatio "So, what is it we need to discuss?"

Horatio stood there holding his sunglasses in usual fashion. There was a few seconds of silence before he answered Ryan "There is a reason you're working in this department and on this case. It was a case that started 10 years ago, but I thought it was time to close the case. I needed someone with whom I could trust to do the job right, but there were a few unforeseen things that have occurred and I can no longer sit back and watch you work this case on your own".

Ryan almost thought Horatio was giving him a compliment, but he remembered the last time Horatio asked for his help. He didn't ask Eric because he was trying to protect him from getting caught. He was used as a possible scapegoat last time so what made this time different. "What do you know about this case and why did Ronald Paige have your number written down in his journal?"

"I gave Ronald my personal number and told him to call me if he was ever in trouble". Horatio hesitated going further. He wanted to tell Ryan everything but he had to be careful how he said it.

Ryan didn't like that Horatio had stopped "Why would you care if Ronald Paige was in trouble?"

"Because he was innocent and I was trying to keep him safe from the mob. They had ordered a hit on his family and tried to pin it on him".

Ryan looked a little skeptical at Horatio's revelation "How do you know he is innocent. The only conclusion of the last investigation was that they had nothing concrete to pin the murders on him".

Horatio looked down at his glasses "that's because they didn't have all the information on the case to show his innocence".

Ryan didn't try to hide the anger in his voice "What are you telling me, that some of the evidence didn't make it to the trial? Where is it then, I didn't see anything in the boxes to show he was innocent". Ryan stopped as a thought entered his mind "wait a minute, does this have anything to do with the missing pictures?"

Horatio took something out of his coat pocket and handed it to Ryan "That is part of it, but there is still more that you need to know".

Ryan looked at what he was handed and saw what looked like an old envelope. As he opened it he pulled out 4 pictures that looked equally old. The pictures were from the Paige family crime scene "Are these the missing pictures, where did you find them?"

Horatio looked straight at Ryan and said "I didn't find them; I took them for safe keeping".

"What…., you've had them all this time, but why?" Ryan was thoroughly confused by this admission.

"Mr. Wolfe, what do you see in the pictures?" Horatio stopped to wait for Ryan to inspect the photos.

Ryan looked at the pictures closer and he saw that it not only contained images of the crime scene there were parts of the back yard in view. As Ryan looked even closer he saw what Horatio was talking about. Hidden in the bushes was a very frightened scared looking child. As he studied them a little bit longer he had an idea of whom the child may be "Is this who I think it is?"

"If you're referring to Allison Paige than you're correct. After I had those pictures developed I saw that she was still alive, but before I could do anything about it I was approached by Ronald who told me that she had to remain dead in the eyes of the people. If the mob found out that she was still alive then they would stop at nothing to finish the job they had started and he couldn't take the chance. I agreed to remove the pictures to protect his daughter from further harm".

Ryan just stood there staring at Horatio. He could not quite believe his ears. Horatio had taken evidence from a crime scene over 10 years ago; this was something he never expected to hear. "Well that tells me that Allison Paige was alive at the time of the murder, but you still have not explained to me how Ronald was innocent. Furthermore it doesn't explain why you didn't just come forward with this information yourself. Why did you need me to get involved?"

Horatio knew Ryan would want to know why he had been chosen to work this case when it appeared someone else had all the answers "I promise I will tell you everything you want to know, but right now I am concerned with where your investigation is going. Something occurred last night that I had not anticipated. With the passing of Ronald Paige I thought it was time this crime was solved, but I had not realized that the mob, the Russian mob, was still interested in this case". Horatio paused and looked at Ryan to see if he should continue, but when he didn't say anything he continued "You had gone to see the manager of the apartments where Ronald lived, but this morning she was found dead. I believe they have been following you and I can no longer allow you to work this case alone".

Ryan stared wide eyed at what Horatio had said. "What, Greta is dead,,, how?"

"She was stabbed with a kitchen knife sometime in the middle of the night. I was at the crime scene when you called me". Horatio felt he needed to sit down. He looked around the room and took the one that was facing Ryan's desk. He turned it in Ryan's direction so that he could gage the young man's reaction. He knew this was a lot to take in.

When Ryan saw Horatio sit down he decided to follow and took his own chair behind the desk. "Why would anyone want to kill her? Do you really think it has anything to do with the case I am working on?"

"I feel it does so I want you to take certain precautions if you plan on continuing this case. But there is one thing that cannot happen right now and that is revealing that Allison is still alive".

Ryan shook his head and turned away from Horatio for a moment trying to think of what to do next. He was not about to walk away from this case now especially if he had anything to do with Greta's case. "  
Horatio, I plan on continuing with this case but I need you to tell me everything you know. I won't do anything if there is a chance of anyone else getting hurt, but we can't just ignore it either".

Horatio was glad Ryan felt this way "I knew you were the right person for this case, but we have to be careful".

Ryan gave Horatio a very serious look "What do you mean when you say 'we'. I don't think it would be a good idea to get you involved since you withheld evidence from the case. I think that as long as we find out who actually killed the Paige family we don't have to let anyone know that Allison is alive. As for why they killed Greta that is something that you could probably handle. Perhaps when we get done with our cases we'll have figured out everything we need to know to close both cases and leave Allison out of this".

As Ryan and Horatio continued their talk Ryan learned more about the case as it happened 10 years ago. Horatio had first seen the pictures with Allison in them and wanted to say something but that was when Ronald approached him. He knew that his daughter was alive and she had been the one that had told him she may have been in a few of the photos that were taken. She had told him who had taken the pictures and that is why he approached Horatio. Ronald had pleaded with Horatio to destroy the photos and that he was trying to protect his daughter. He said that the mob wanted him to plan something but when he said he wouldn't, they said they would kill his family. He had not taken the threat seriously until he came home and found his wife and son dead. He had searched all over for Allison but couldn't find any trace of her. That is when he had received a call from the mob stating that they had his daughter and that if he didn't do what they asked he would never see her again. They also said that if he didn't help they would allow the police to believe he had killed his own family. If he helped they would help ensure he was not convicted. Ronald had no choice but to comply with their wishes, but things went drastically wrong when he tried to rescue his daughter. There was an explosion where she was being kept and everyone who knew she was there thought she was dead, only this was what Ronald had planned. They helped ensure he was not convicted and he did what they wanted him to do. He never wanted them to know she was still alive because she was a witness to what really happened to her family. But according to Horatio there was always something that Ronald kept from Horatio. It had been decided by both Ryan and Horatio that this may be the one reason why the mob became so interested upon learning the case was re-opened. There was more to this case than even Horatio knew and Ryan was determined to find out what it was.

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Author's Note: Well here is the big secret; I hope I didn't disappoint anyone. I had not originally planned on the story going this way, but as I was writing it the plot turned into something different so know I am planning on something that I am not even sure where it is going. Hope you all stay tuned to find out.


	14. Chapter 14

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After Horatio left, Ryan just sat at his desk for awhile. He was still trying to process everything that he had been told. Ryan picked up Ronald's journal that contained the pictures and observations of a young girl and looked through it again. He came to the realization that Ronald must have been watching his daughter from afar, not wanting to risk her life. Horatio had told him that he helped ensure the girls safety by placing her with a family that was already under a witness protection program. He thought it was the best place for her and the family always told Horatio that they owed him a favor for helping them. They were more than happy to take in Allison.

Horatio did not want to do anything to expose Allison's whereabouts and thought it was best they leave her entirely out of the case. Ryan had thought it would be a good idea to at least talk to her to find out what she remembered, but agreed to hold off for awhile.

For now Ryan would slow down his investigation and wait for Horatio and his team to process the evidence from Greta's apartment. If Horatio's intuitions were correct, the person that murdered Greta was tied to the killing of the Paige Family, perhaps even the same person.

Horatio did give Ryan one clue however and that was to investigate the current owners of the home where the Paige family had lived. Ronald had always wondered why the people who eventually bought the home were so insistent on owning it. They had paid well over the asking price to avoid anyone else from obtaining it. Additionally Ronald could have sworn he knew the couple from somewhere and always had a strange feeling about them. Horatio had many discussions about this shortly after the house was sold, but never looked into it. He told Ryan that this may not lead anywhere but it was something he could do while waiting.

Ryan thought this was a good place to start since he also had an odd feeling about the woman he talked to on the day he visited the house. She had known way too much for someone claiming to be curious about the history on the house.

Ryan decided to do a background check on the couple and perhaps even go back and talk to them. If there was a link between the couple and the murders he wanted to find it. While he was working he looked up as the door opened and saw that Katie had returned. "Hi Katie".

"Hi Ryan, did you and Horatio have a good talk?" She didn't know when he had left, but she had been gone for almost 2 hours and figured it had been enough time for the two of them to talk.

"Yeah, he's really put a new spin on this case". Ryan wanted to say more, but some of the information he had been told was not something he really wanted to talk about.

"Anything you can share with me?"

Ryan had been hoping she wouldn't ask this. "I need to look into a few more things before I can verify the accuracy of the information so I would rather not talk about it until then".

This answer seemed to satisfy Katie, "Oh, sure that's understandable. I hope you didn't think I was trying to be nosey?"

Ryan gave her a suspicious look "Sure, you just want to try and steal my case away from me right when I might be close to solving it, I know your type". Ryan had to stop since he started smiling to much which eventually led to him laughing.

Katie couldn't help but join in on the laughing, but manage to say "So, is that what type you think I am. I've got news for you; all you get for solving a cold case is another cold case". She was feeling in such a good mood that she picked up the stress ball sitting on her desk and threw it at Ryan.

The stress ball managed to hit the side of Ryan's head "Ow, what was that for". He stood there for a second rubbing his head. He then reached down, picked up the ball and threw it back. Fortunately for Katie it missed her by a mile.

This got both of them laughing for a minute before Katie said "Well that was fun, but I'm off again and won't be back until tomorrow".

"Ok, I'm probably going to be taking off as well. I have a new lead that I need to look into. Maybe we can pick up where we left off tomorrow". He gave her one last smile before she left the office.

Ryan decided it was time to get back to work. He logged onto the computer and started his check on Sylvia Kemp and her husband Edward. At first he didn't find anything unusual. They seemed to be a normal couple who bought a house after getting married. The only thing that was not usual was the amount they paid for the house. It was just like Horatio had said; they put in an offer that was a lot more than the asking price. He remembered when he had talked to Sylvia she had mentioned that they had gotten a good deal on the house. This was so far the only thing that didn't add up, but this was not enough to go storming back to the house to ask more questions. He needed to find more so he kept digging.

Two hours later Ryan was just about to give up when he came across a name that looked familiar. He had started to look at the extended family of Sylvia and Edward Kemp when he couldn't think of anything else to try. He was now looking at a picture of Sylvia's uncle who just happened to have a picture in the criminal database. Evan Jovanovich had been arrested on several occasions for minor infractions, but it was the one that occurred during a trial where he was found to be disruptive that caught his attention the most. According to the arrest record he was one of the defense lawyers', but was eventually pulled off the case due to his arrest. Ryan pulled up his file on the Paige case and after searching for a few seconds he had his answer to why the name was so familiar. Evan Jovanovich was the lawyer that worked on Richard Paige's case. This was too much of a coincidence. Ryan knew this might be the link he was looking for.

Ryan checked the clock and saw that it was almost 2 in the afternoon. He wanted to check out the lawyer some more but he also wanted to run this by Horatio. He turned his computer off and went in search of Horatio.

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It felt strange to Ryan to be walking back to the area where he use to perform his investigations. He had finally gotten use to his new department so he didn't really think about this place much. But here he was going to talk to Horatio as if he had never left. He was going to talk to him about his case just like the old days, but this wasn't the old days and he had to remind himself of that. As he walked toward Horatio's office he saw Natalia coming out of the lab.

Natalia saw Ryan and didn't know if he would try and avoid her or not. She decided to just say hi as she walked by him and then just keep walking. "Hi Ryan, how have you been?" Now why did she have to ask him that? He would probably not like that and make any excuse to get out of her way.

Ryan smiled at Natalia and answered her "Hi Natalia, I'm doing great. Have you see Horatio around?" He really needed to find him so he didn't think it would hurt to ask.

Natalia was taken back a little bit by Ryan's response. She expected him to look away and make some excuse to not answer her, but she was pleasantly surprised. "Yeah, I think he was in the DNA lab talking to Eric".

"Thanks Natalia, I'll see ya around". Ryan felt like he was finally accepting this and it was time to stay friends with the people he truly felt cared about him. He always liked Natalia and hoped she still felt like being friends with him, but the way he had been acting lately he wouldn't blame her for not wanting it.

As Ryan walked toward the lab he secretly hoped he didn't run into anyone else, but if he did he would accept it and just make the most of it. He really liked his job and the people around here so he it would do no good to close himself off to any contact.

Ryan entered the lab and just as Natalia had said, Horatio was in there talking to Eric. He saw they were discussing something so he figured he would wait for the right opportunity to make his presence known, but Horatio turned and looked in his direction at the same moment he stopped to wait.

Horatio looked over and saw Ryan walk in. He had just been discussing last night's murder case and thought Ryan's timing was perfect. "Mr. Wolfe, I think we may have found something that I would like to discuss with you. I hope you have found something equally valuable?"

Ryan became excited at Horatio's news. "I think I have, where can we talk about it?" He didn't want to discuss the case in front of Eric.

Horatio looked at Eric "I need to discuss something with Mr. Wolfe, alone".

Eric looked dumbfounded at Horatio's response. If Horatio was going to talk to Ryan about the case than why couldn't he listen? He also wondered what Ryan had to do with this case. Their investigation had revealed that Ryan had been in the woman's apartment at some point, but Horatio said it had to do with a case he was working on. He had to wonder what a cold unsolved case had to do with this woman and was hoping Horatio would let him stay. "I think I would like to stay and hear what you have to say. After all I am working on part of this case".

Horatio didn't seem to pleased with Eric's response. "We will talk later, but right now I need you to leave so that I can talk to Ryan in private".

Eric could detect the change in Horatio's tone and knew from experience he better do as he is told. "Alright, I'll give you your privacy". Eric glared at Ryan as he left the room, but didn't say anything.

Ryan caught Eric's glare and thought it was a combined look of confusion and anger. Eric was probably confused as to why Horatio wanted him to leave and angry that Horatio wanted him to leave on a count of whom he was talking to. Eric never did make any attempts to maintain communication with him, let alone a friendship after the Russian Mob incident.

Now that they were alone Ryan went over to where Horatio was standing "So, what have you found?"

Horatio pulled up a few things on the screen "Well, it looks like we were able to get some DNA from the crime scene, but unfortunately it does not match anyone in our data base".

Well, finding DNA was always a good start, but if they didn't have anyone to match it to then they really had nothing to go on. "Have you tried running it against other unknown DNA sources to see if we have a match there?"

"I've started the search, but I don't think we will find anything in our electronic data base. But I was thinking that it might be worth looking for any potential DNA on your case that was missed and running it to see if it is a match to this". Horatio remembered the case from 10 years ago and knew that they hadn't taken have any DNA samples, but then again the technology back then was not like it is now. All they needed was a small sample.

Ryan thought about Horatio's idea for a minute before saying "Yeah that is a good idea, I'll get right on it, but let me tell you what I found. I looked up everything I could on the current owners of the home, but came up with nothing until I started looking at their family members. Sylvia Kemp's uncle is the same man who defended Richard Paige when he was on trial. I know that is has long been speculated that the mob helped get Richard free, so it would stand to reason that his lawyer was connected to the mob. I think it is too much of a coincidence that he just happens to be the uncle of the current owner. I also thought it was odd that Sylvia herself had told me they got such a good deal on the house when in fact they put down more money that was being asked. I thought that a bit suspicious".

Horatio thought over the information Ryan had given him, "I agree that it is too much of a coincidence. I think you should check out the Kemp's a little more. It might also be beneficial to see if we could get any DNA from them and compare it to our sample. What is the next course of action in your case?"

"I was planning on doing some more checks on the Kemp's and I thought I would go and visit them again. Maybe this time I can meet Mr. Kemp as well". Ryan was pleased that Horatio was asking him what he was going to do. Usually when he worked a case he just waited for Horatio to come up with a game plan.

"That sounds good Mr. Wolfe, but I want you to be very careful. Your case has gotten very interesting and does not appear to be very cold anymore".

Ryan accepted Horatio's warning and knew that this case was becoming stranger by the minute. He decided to make his way to the evidence room to see if there was anything in the way of potential DNA and then he was going to continue his investigation into the Kemp's background. If all went well he would be paying them a visit tomorrow.

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Author's Note – Sorry this took longer than normal. My internet was not available to me in the last few days, plus I feel like I have lost some of my writing mojo. Not sure where it went, but I am hoping to get it back if I want to complete my 2 stories. I also have plans on starting another one (but alas, it will not be a CSI Miami story).

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Leave me a note to let me know.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

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It had to be Ryan's lucky day. After his examination of the evidence from the Paige murders he was able to find a few things that might yield some decent DNA, but whether it was from the family or the killer were unknown. All he knew was that they did not perform any DNA tests when the crime happened since the tests were fairly new and very expensive at the time. Ryan also thought that there might be another reason no one ever thought to go back and try when the tests became more available.

Ryan gathered up the 3 items and brought them to Natalia to see if she could get anything off of them. He thought if anyone might be able to it would be her since her initial job here had involved DNA from cold cases. As he entered the lab he found Natalia sifting through some other evidence they had collected from Greta's apartment.

"Hi Natalia, is that the stuff you collected from Greta Talbot's apartment?" He stayed back far enough to show her he was just looking yet he was close enough to see what it was.

Natalia looked up when she heard Ryan "Oh Hi Ryan. This is the stuff we collected, but I am not sure you should be in here right now. Since there was evidence of you being in the apartment at some point before the murder it would be a conflict of interest to the case".

"I won't come any further, but I need to have these items inspected for possible DNA trace". Ryan placed the items down on the counter without coming in any closer.

"Couldn't you find someone else to do this?" Natalia frowned as she looked down at the items Ryan had brought in. "I hope you don't expect to have the results anytime soon. We are pretty backed up in here. What are these for anyways, a case you're working on?"

Ryan scratched his head and looked at Natalia. He knew that this would probably be viewed as low priority. "I found these items in one of the evidence boxes for the case I am working on. I feel that the case I am working on has something to do with why Greta Talbot was murdered. I thought that maybe the DNA found on her case may match any found from items on my case".

Natalia considered what Ryan said before saying "Is that why you were at her apartment? I guess it would help explain what you were doing there. I'll try and get to them later, but I can't guarantee anything alright".

Ryan nodded his head "Thanks Natalia, I owe you one". Ryan was happy that this had gone better than he had anticipated. He was so happy he turned and walked out of the room before saying goodbye.

Natalia noticed his abrupt departure but managed to say "You're welcome" before he was completely out of the room.

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Ryan made his way back to his office and got to work on exploring the Kemp's background some more. After a few hours he was disappointed that he had not found much. There was not much of anything on the Kemp's that he could find. They were the image of the all American couple; at least on paper they were.

Ryan decided that he needed to go and talk to the Kemp's again. He felt this was the only way to find more about them. It was getting late, but he thought that if he left now he could get there by 5. He may even get a chance to meet Mr. Kemp this time.

Ryan left Katie a note as to where he was going and said he would see her tomorrow. He made his way to his car and was soon on his way.

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Well it had taken Ryan a little longer to get to the Kemp's home then he had thought, but he was here now. He pulled up into their driveway and was happy to see 2 cars parked in the garage. This had to mean that Mr. Kemp was home as well. Ryan got out of his car and walked to the door. As he got closer he heard what sounded like an argument. He stopped to listen; the last thing he wanted to interfere was a domestic squabble.

From where he was standing he could make out a man and woman's voice but he still couldn't understand what they were saying. He walked a little closer to the door and was finally able to make out a few words. He could clearly make out what the man was saying. "_I heard he was going to try and find some DNA evidence to compare to what was found at the Talbot's apartment. If they find a match then we are in serious trouble. It was sloppy work to kill that woman the way he did and now his mistake may be the end of us_". As he listened to the man he suddenly heard some noise coming from behind him.

"Hi, are you here for more information?"

Ryan turned around to see who was talking. He saw that it was one of the neighbors he had previously talked to. She was out walking her dog. "Um.. Yeah I needed some more information from the Kemp's". Ryan didn't appreciate this interruption and hoped she would leave him alone.

The lady with the dog seems satisfied with his answer "Ok, but if there is anything I can help you with please don't hesitate to ask". The woman waved to Ryan and continued her walk.

Ryan turned back to the house and noticed that it was quiet. He didn't like that they had stopped talking because it may have meant that they knew he was outside. He didn't know if he should continue to the door or just leave. His instinct was to walk away and let Horatio know what he thought he heard. As he stood there someone came out of the house.

Ryan didn't know who the man was but assumed it was Mr. Kemp and the same person he had heard talking.

"Can I help you with something?" The man looked a little annoyed as he said this.

"Yes, I was looking for Sylvia Kemp, are you her husband?"

The man kept his distance as he said "I am, and may I ask who you are?"

"My name is Ryan Wolfe. I talked to your wife a few days ago and thought of a few more questions to ask her. Is she home?" Ryan knew she was home, but he thought by asking about her it would make it appear as if he had not heard them talking.

"Oh yes, my wife did mention she talked to you. She's not home right now. Is there something I can do for you?"

Ryan's radar suddenly went into alarm mode. He wondered why he said his wife was not home when he clearly had heard a woman's voice. He was sure it was her since the woman he talked to last week had a very distinct voice, just like the one he heard a few minutes earlier. "I don't think so. I just wanted her to clarify a few things she told me. Could you please let her know I would like to talk to her?" He really just wanted to get away and fast. He was having a bad feeling about this.

"Where are my manners, my name is Edward Kemp. Sylvia just went over to the neighbors for something and should be right back. You can come in and wait for her inside". The man seemed very insistent all of a sudden.

"No, I really don't have time to wait. If you could please let her know I was here". Ryan started to turn toward his car but was stopped.

Edward Kemp walked over to Ryan and put his hand on his shoulder, "Please, I just made some nice cold lemonade and would love it if you could join me. I promise she will be back in a few minutes".

"No, I really can't. I should be getting back to work". From the look on Edwards face, he was not buying this excuse.

"Sorry, but I must insist you join me inside". Edward pulled something out of his pocket and shoved it into Ryan's side.

Ryan looked down and saw what appeared to be a gun in Edwards's hands. "Hey, what are you doing?" This was all Ryan could think to say; he was totally unprepared for this.

Edward poked the gun even harder into Ryan's side. "I want you to quietly walk to the front door and step inside. We need to discuss a few things and it would be better if we were inside, away from the prying eyes of the neighborhood".

Ryan allowed Edward to push him toward the door. As he entered the front door he saw that Sylvia was waiting inside. She had a very anxious look on her face as she looked Ryan in the eyes. Before Ryan could say anything he felt something very hard land on the side of his head. Suddenly his knees gave out and he slumped to the floor. He was totally unaware of his body hitting the floor since his vision went black as he fell.

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Author's note: Sorry this took so long. I really don't know why I can't get these chapters out sooner. I have tried to sit down and write, but I end up only getting a few sentences done. I hope this chapter was to everyone's liking; leave me a line to let me know. I can also guarantee some action is coming into the story.


	16. Chapter 16

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Sylvia looked down at the unconscious form of Ryan Wolfe and then she looked up at her husband Edward. "What have you done that for? He may not have heard us talking".

"I am almost positive he heard our conversation so I thought the sooner we get him out of here the better, now help me get him into the car. We need to get him out of here so no one can find him". Edward bent down and roughly pulled Ryan up by his arms. "Here, take his legs and we can drag him into the trunk of the car".

Sylvia gave Edward an annoyed look before grabbing his legs. She was grateful that he was not as heavy as he looked. As they moved toward the door leading to the garage Edward suddenly dropped Ryan to the floor which almost caused Sylvia to trip over Ryan's body. "Hey, warn me before you're going to do that".

"Sorry dear, but I thought I better shut the garage door before we dragged him out to the car". Edward then proceeded to shut the door. He turned back and once again picked up Ryan and waited until Sylvia had his legs again. They walked into the garage and with a little finagling Edward manage to pop the trunk open while still holding on to Ryan. "Here, let's put him in here and then I can make sure he is tied up before we leave".

Sylvia helped Edward heave Ryan's body into the trunk and then she assisted him in taping up Ryan's hands and legs together. They could not afford to have him waking up before they got out of town.

Edward searched Ryan's pockets and pulled out his phone, keys and gun. He then handed the keys to Sylvia "Ok, I want you to take his car and follow me. We need to get his car out of here, I don't want anyone finding out he was here".

"Where are we going to take him?" Sylvia took the offered keys and watched as the trunk was closed. She really wished this was not happening. They had been very happy in this house for the last 10 years and she didn't really want the kind of trouble killing a cop would bring.

"We are going to take him to your uncle's cabin by the lake. Your uncle is responsible for this mess and he is going to help us fix it". It was clear that Edward was no happier with this than Sylvia was, but they couldn't very well stop now.

"Isn't' that too risky, what if they figure it out and find us there".

"No one knows he owns the cabin, so I think we are going to be safe there. Now don't worry yourself about the details. I have a plan on what we are going to do with Mr. Wolfe once we get there. Now we need to get going before it gets to dark". He opened the garage door and watched Sylvia get into Ryan's car. He then followed by getting into his own car.

Sylvia backed the car out of the driveway and waited for Edward to do the same so she could follow him to their destination.

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Ryan woke up as a sudden jolt went through body. The first thing he noticed was that it he was lying on his side in total darkness. The second thing he noticed was that whatever he was in appeared to be moving; that would explain the bumps and jolts he was receiving. The third thing he noticed was that his hands and feet were bound. His only conclusion was that he was in the trunk of someone's car and being taken somewhere against his will.

He struggled against his bound hands to try and get lose, but he had no success. He didn't know how long he had been here, but he didn't have to wait very long to find out when they were done. He felt the car come to a stop and heard a door open up. He waited only a second before the trunk opened up. He didn't see any lights so ne assumed he was either in a garage or it was dark out.

As Edward opened the trunk he saw that his passenger had woken up "Oh, this will not do. I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this again". With that said he pounded his fist against Ryan's head causing him to once again fall unconscious.

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Katie found Ryan's note right where he had put it the night before. She read it and saw that he was going back to the Kemp's place and would see her in the morning. She was late getting to work this morning so she had to wonder what time Ryan planned on coming it; it was already 11am. She figured he was probably still working on his case and decided it was too early to worry about him.

As Katie sat down and read her e-mail she heard the door open. Without looking up she starting saying "well so much for seeing me in the morning, it's almost noon". She looked up as she finished and saw that it was not Ryan who had come in. It was Natalia, one of his ex co-workers. "Oh, I'm sorry, thought you were Ryan, what can I do for?"

Natalia walked toward the desk "Hi, I was actually looking for Ryan, but I take it he is not here since you thought it was him at the door".

Katie stood up to address Natalia "He hasn't come in yet, is there something I can do for you?"

"No, I just wanted to give Ryan the results of a DNA test. I just figured he would be here working on his case. Do you know when he might be coming in?"

Katie shook her head "No clue, his note said he would see me this morning, but it's almost noon so I guess he changed his original plans. You could try calling him if you like".

"I already tried that but when I got his voice mail I thought I would see if he was here. Well, when you see him could you let him know I am looking for him?"

"Sure, I'll let him know as soon as he gets here". Katie stood there and watched as Natalia walked out the door. She went back over to her computer and continued reading her e-mail. It wasn't long before she stopped and looked at the clock. It read 12:30; she had to wonder if Ryan was coming in at all.

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As Natalia made her way back to the lab she ran into Horatio.

"Ms. Boa Vista, were you able to get any DNA trace from the items Ryan brought to you yesterday?"

Natalia was surprised that Horatio knew about this. She figured he was going to ask her about the Talbot murder case. "Yes I actually found something very interesting. I didn't know that you were aware of this though".

"I'm assisting Mr. Wolfe on one of his cases. What have you found?" Horatio was very curious as to what she found.

Natalia wondered why Ryan failed to mention the fact that Horatio was helping, but figured it would be ok to tell him, especially since it affected their current case "Well, he asked me to see if I could find any DNA because he thought it might match what we found at Greta Talbot's apartment. I was lucky enough to find something on one of the items he gave me and when I compared it to what I already had it was an exact match. The unfortunate part is that we still don't know who the DNA belongs to. I need to tell him that our two cases are now linked together".

"Thank you Natalia, could you please bring me the test results, I will make sure that Ryan get's them personally". Horatio was extremely happy to find out there was a link to the cases. He had suspected there would be a match but he wasn't sure they would have found any DNA on the evidence taken from the Paige home over 10 years ago. He needed to find Ryan so they could work on the next tactic for solving both of their cases.

Horatio took out his phone and was about to call Ryan when his phone rang. The caller ID on his phone indicated it was Ryan calling. "Mr. Wolfe, where are you?"

"Oh I can't tell you that, but I can tell you I would like to talk to you about Mr. Wolfe. I need you to do something for me, and before you say no I must warn you Mr. Wolfe's life is depending on your answer".

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Author's Note: More action is on the way. Hopefully the next chapter will be longer. I am just glad to have gotten this chapter done so soon. Leave me a note to let me know what you're thinking. Thanks to those of you who have already written down your thoughts, I appreciate each and every one of them.


	17. Chapter 17

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Horatio held the phone up to his ear as he listened to the person who was now using Ryan's phone. He didn't like the idea of someone having taken him again, but this time he was going to do whatever he could to ensure Ryan didn't get hurt.

Edward Kemp accepted the silence that was on the line for only so long. He was in control of this conversation. "Well, did you hear me? There is something I want you to do and if you do it the way I want it done then I will let you have your CSI back. Oh and by the way, don't bother trying to find him using the GPS on his phone, I've disabled it".

Horatio had been thinking about Ryan's GPS, but now that it was not an option he had to talk to Ryan's kidnapper "What do you want?"

"Now that is more like it. I didn't think you were such a hard man that you would just abandon one of your own. I actually need a few things from you and they all involve a case you worked on 10 years ago. I know you were helping him so now you're going to help me if you expect to get Mr. Wolfe back in one piece".

"Tell me what you want, but I must warn you, if you harm Mr. Wolfe in any way I will find you?" Horatio didn't like the position he was being put into by this man, but he didn't see where he had any choice.

Edward switched the phone to his other ear before saying "I will let you know what I want, but not right now. There are a few things I need to take care of. I will be contacting you very soon". Edward didn't wait for a response. He ended the call and then proceeded to smash the phone to bits. Once he was done he went and found Sylvia "Well I placed the call, now all we need is to wait and call him back to let him know how he can get his man back". Edward looked down at the unconscious figure lying on the floor. "I must have hit him harder than I thought. I assumed he would be awake by now. We should probably move him into the back room and call your uncle".

Edward and Sylvia once again picked up Ryan and half carried half dragged him into the back room. The room had no windows and nothing to sit on so they just dumped his body up against the wall.

Edward made Sylvia call her uncle and explain to him what they had done. When she got off the phone she said he was not very pleased with their actions but agreed to come over. Edward was pleased at this; he knew Sylvia's uncle would do anything for her.

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Ryan woke up with a splitting headache. He wanted to rub his head but his hands were bound to his feet and he was not able to move them. From what he could tell he had been moved from the car to a small dark room that smelled like dead fish. How the heck had he gotten himself into this again? It wasn't too long ago that he had been kidnapped and tortured and now here he was in a similar situation; again. At this moment he realized how much it sucked to be him. He had no idea what they were going to do with him or for that matter what they were going to make him do. All he could do was sit there and wait for someone to come in and tell him. He just hoped it didn't hurt so much like last time. He also had to wonder if anyone knew he was missing and if they did were they going to care. Last time no one bothered to go and look for him even though they were having trouble getting a hold of him. They had figured he was able to take care of himself and just went on about their business as if nothing was wrong. He always wondered what would have happened had they come looking for him. If they had he would certainly not be stuck here in this room all tied up with no idea of what would come next.

As Ryan laid there thinking he heard someone opening the door. He looked up as the door opened and saw that it was Sylvia Kemp. He did his best to sit up and face her, "Sylvia, what is going on, why have you done this?"

Sylvia set down a glass of water on the floor and sat down directly in front of Ryan "I'm sorry, this was not something I wanted. Please don't try anything though, Edward is just outside in the other room and he has no problem hurting you if you try to escape". She picked up the glass "I've brought you some water; you're probably thirsty after your long ride in the hot car". She brought the glass to Ryan's lips and was happy when he accepted the cold liquid into this mouth.

"Thanks, I needed that". He watched her as she set the glass down. "What are you planning on doing with me?"

"Why did you have to come back to the house? If it were up to me I would have let you go, but Edward thought it was too risky. He's got my uncle involved now so I can't really say what is going to happen to you". She was starting to look nervous and leaned in a little closer to Ryan "what I can tell you is that they are going to ask someone you know to find something that was taken from us and return it. If he doesn't do this they will most likely kill you".

Ryan didn't like the sound of this "Can you tell me who this someone is?"

"His name is Horatio Caine". Sylvia stood up and placed her hand on the door leading out to the other room, "I really should get back out there. Edward didn't want me coming in here in the first place, but I told him that we needed to keep you alive if we expected the other man to help us. I'll come back with some food soon, Ok". Sylvia opened the door and walked out closing it behind her.

Ryan sat back and let the information Sylvia told him sink in. He had to wonder if Horatio already knew about this and was he really going to do anything to help him. He hoped so; he didn't think Horatio would willingly abandon him, especially after the last time. Horatio had made it very clear that he would have helped Ryan with Billy had he been told sooner and proved it by not only helping him get Billy back, but by not firing him after it was all done.

As Ryan sat there thinking about his situation he once again heard talking on the other side of the door. This time though it sounded like there were 3 people now instead of 2. He wondered if Sylvia's uncle was out there. He also wondered if this uncle was the same uncle that had helped clear Ronald Paige of murder all those years ago.

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Evan Jovanovich had just arrived and sat at the kitchen table with Edward and Sylvia "I wished you had talked to me before doing anything. What are we supposed to do with him now? He's a cop and just kidnapping him could get us into a lot of trouble. You know we will never be able to let him live".

Sylvia looked nervous as she shifted in her chair "why do we have to kill him. Haven't there been enough people killed already. I think it's time we just leave, we have been worrying about this for the last 10 years and I am getting real tired of always watching my back".

Edward looked at his wife and for a split second it looked like was agreeing with her, but then he looked at Evan "So what do you think we should do then?"

Sylvia gave her husband a disgusted looked as she stood up. She was very angry that Edward seemed to blow off all that she had said. She decided to go into the kitchen to see what kind of food they had. She was getting hungry and figured that Ryan was getting hungry as well.

Edward noticed the look on his wife's face, and he knew she was right, but he needed Evan's help and didn't want to get the man mad at them. He remembered the last time that happened and he almost didn't make it out alive. "I called Horatio to let him know we will be in need of his services, but do you really think he knows anything?"

Evan leaned forward on the table and looked Edward directly in the eyes "Oh, I know he was involved in helping Ronald. We need to find out what he knows and make him tell us. With Ronald gone no one is considered off limits any longer". Evan paused before continuing "So have you found out what our guest knows. After talking to that Talbot woman it sounded like she gave him something, but I wasn't able to find out what it was".

"No, I haven't talked to him yet. I was waiting for you". Edward knew exactly where this was headed.

Evan stood up and patted Edwards shoulder "That was a good decision on your part. I think it's time I go and get to know Mr. Wolfe personally".

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No Edward, I think you should probably go and make up with Sylvia. She looked pretty pissed when she left the room". Evan left the table and walked toward the room containing Ryan.

Before entering the room Evan grabbed a few things from his bag and grabbed a chair since he didn't really feel like sitting on the floor. He opened the door and turned on the light. As he looked in the room he saw that Ryan was sitting up against the corner of the wall. "Good evening Mr. Wolfe, I hope you are not too uncomfortable in here?"

Ryan looked up at his visitor "Who are you?"

Evan put his chair down right in front of Ryan and sat down "The names Evan Jovanovich. I'm sure you have heard of me through your investigation of the Paige family murders so I don't need to go into details, do I?"

"I know who you are, your Sylvia's uncle and the same man who helped clear Ronald Paige of murder". Ryan tried to shift himself in a better position so that he could see Evan better, but he was having no luck since his hands were tapped to the binds around his feet.

Evan seems to notice how uncomfortable Ryan looked "Here, let me cut the tape so you can at least raise your arms?" He took the knife he had brought in with him to cut loose the tape that was linking his bound arms and hands to his feet. "There that's better isn't it. But don't think of trying to escape. As long as you cooperate nothing bad will happen to you".

Ryan moved his arms up as best he could "I suppose I should say thank you. What are you going to do with me?"

"Well, I am hoping you will help me find something that was taken from me and my family about 10 years ago. I need to know what you have found out about the case, especially from Greta Talbot".

The mention of Greta Talbot's name made Ryan cringe "were you the one who killed her?"

Evan was starting to feel agitated "I didn't come in here to talk about her, I came in here to talk about what you found out, so I suggest you tell me".

"Why should I, you're probably just going to kill me like you killed her". Ryan knew this was not what Evan wanted to hear and he feared he would soon regret what he said.

Evan leaned closer to Ryan "Look, I just want to know what you found out, is that such a hard question for you?"

Ryan sat there and just stared at Evan.

Evan did not appreciate the silence. He got up and pulled Ryan to a standing position and roughly shoved him into the wall. His face was now very close to Ryan's face "Look, you're going to tell me what I want to know or you will never leave this room alive, do you understand? Maybe I need to give you something to think about while you make up your mind". Evan was through playing the nice guy. He proceeded to punch Ryan in the stomach several times until he felt Ryan's weight shift. He let go of Ryan and watched as he fell to the floor.

Evan kicked Ryan in the gut to get his attention "Now, I will let you think it over and I will be back later to find out what you know, ok?" Evan turned and walked out the door locking it behind him.

Ryan looked up from where he was laying. He wished he could sit up, but his ribs really hurt when he moved. He figured a couple of his ribs were fractured after the pummeling he received from Evan. He decided it was best to just stay where he was for now and hope the pain would go away.

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Author's Notes: Well not too much action in this chapter, but there is more to come with Ryan. Let me know what you're thoughts are.


	18. Chapter 18

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Evan came out the room that held Ryan and went in search of Sylvia and Edward. He found both of them in the kitchen preparing some food for dinner.

Edward looked up as Evan came into the room "Well did he tell you anything?"

Evan walked over to where Sylvia was busy cutting up some food and grabbed a piece of cheese. As he ate it he looked at both Sylvia and Edward, "No, but I gave him something to think about and told him I would be back. I'm sure he will tell me what I want to know next time".

Sylvia stopped what she was doing and asked "What did you do to him; I hope you didn't hurt him".

Evan put his arm around his niece "I didn't hurt him too badly, but I'm sure he's feeling a little sore". Evan chuckled at his own remark and grabbed another piece of cheese. "So what else are we having besides some cheese and cut vegetables". He looked inside the pan sizzling on the stove and saw that they were making hamburgers, "Well this doesn't look to bad, but I will probably need some more supplies".

As Sylvia started removing some plates from the cupboard she made a suggestion "I can go into town later and buy some more food for us if you like".

"No I don't think that would be such a good idea. I want both of you to go back home tonight. I'll stay here and work out the plan and let you know what I need you to do. In the meantime no one but the young man in the other room knows you're involved and I would like to keep it that way". Evan didn't really care what happened to Edward, but he wanted to keep Sylvia safe and this was the best way he could think of accomplishing that.

Sylvia didn't like leaving Evan all alone with Ryan "I think we should stay right where we are for now. You may need some help and I don't feel like driving back here each time you need us for something".

Edward spoke up before Evan could protest "I think Evan is right and that we should leave, but maybe we could leave tomorrow, what do you think Evan?"

Evan could not help but notice the look Sylvia had on her face. If he knew his niece she would not let Edward get away with how he was blatantly ignoring everything she had to say. But he was not about to feel sorry for Edward. He never really liked the man, but he vowed to get along with him if only for his niece. She was like a daughter to him and he would do anything for her. Evan considered what Edward was proposing and decided he was right "It would probably be better if you left in the morning. So when is dinner gonna be ready?"

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As soon as the three of them were done eating Sylvia made up a little plate for Ryan, and despite the protests from Evan she brought it to him. As she entered the room she turned on the overhead light and found Ryan leaning up against the wall with his eyes closed. "Hey, are you hungry?"

Ryan wasn't sleeping but he had closed his eyes to avoid the harshness of the light. He opened his eyes as soon as he felt it was safe and looked in the direction of where Sylvia was standing "Yeah, I'm kinda of hungry, thanks". Ryan grunted in pain as he tried to reposition himself better. His ribs were really hurting.

Sylvia noticed Ryan struggle to sit up and went over to help him "Let me help you. I'm sorry for what my uncle did, but if you just give him what he wants he will leave you alone".

"Do you really believe that Sylvia? I don't think he is going to let me out of this room alive". Ryan closed his eyes as another wave of pain ripped through his chest.

Sylvia knew there was some truth in Ryan's statement, but she would try and do what she could to make sure it didn't happen "'Well, let's not worry about that right now. I brought you some food and this will probably make you feel better, but I hope you don't mind me feeding you. I can't untie you".

Ryan was too hungry to argue and allowed her to hold the hamburger up to his mouth so he could eat it. Once he felt like he had eaten enough he leaned back against the wall. At least the pain in his ribs was easing up. "Thanks for the food".

Sylvia picked up the plate and stood up "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Well, actually there is, I need to use the bathroom if that's permitted?" Ryan didn't think he could sit there much longer.

Sylvia looked a little embarrassed at this "Oh, well I can't help you there, but I will mention it to my uncle". Sylvia quickly made her exit from the room.

As soon as Sylvia told her uncle of Ryan's needs he said he would take care of it. She watched as he got up and left the room, then went about cleaning up the kitchen.

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As Evan entered the room he went directly over to Ryan and once again roughly pulled him to his feet. He ignored the grunts of pain that his actions were causing the young man "Now I am going to cut the tape around your feet so I don't have to carry you, but you're on your own with your hands, as I will not be letting those free. And I must warn you, if you try anything funny you will regret it".

Evan proceeded to untie Ryan's legs and pushed him toward the door and out into the hallway.

As Ryan was led to the bathroom he looked around in order to establish the layout of the place he was in. From what he could tell it was not a very big place and it looked like it wasn't a place someone lived in everyday. It looked more like a vacation home, which made him wonder exactly where he was. As he was pushed toward the bathroom he was roughly pushed into the wall while the lights were turned on. Ryan was then shoved into the room and the door was closed.

As Ryan stood in the bathroom he found that it was stripped clean of anything that might be helpful in his escape. He didn't really think he would find anything but he had hoped. After he finished doing what he came there to do he went to the sink and did his best to turn it on. He turned it to the hottest position it would go.

Evan heard the water go on so he assumed Ryan was almost done so he waited, but when he thought it was taking too long he opened the door. As he stepped in he was suddenly assaulted by a face full of hot water and was then pushed down on the floor as his hostage flew by him.

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Ryan didn't know where he was going, but he was glad that the hot water gave him enough time to make his getaway. After he knocked Evan down he fled the room and ran toward what he hoped was the front door. His hands were still bound but he thought he could manage opening a door. He didn't run into anyone as he made his way to the front of the house but he did hear Evan screaming about him getting away. He didn't dare look around; he needed to concentrate on the task at hand.

Ryan saw the door he was looking for and was almost home free when something all of a sudden got in his way tripping him and sending him to the ground. Before knew what was happening he felt something push down on his neck.

"You're gonna regret what you just did" , as Evan said that he pushed his foot even harder into Ryan's neck. It was so hard that Ryan's body was starting to struggle underneath the assault.

Sylvia couldn't take this anymore "stop Evan, you're going to kill him". She went over and tried to pull him away. Evan was a lot stronger than she was, but she managed to get him to stop. She immediately knelt down to make sure Ryan was ok.

"Edward, help me get him up". Evan pushed Sylvia away and with Edwards help pulled Ryan to his feet. He looked him over and noticed that he was struggling to breath and looked like he might pass out any minute. This was good since it meant there would be no resistance while they moved him back to his room.

Once Ryan was back into the room he was thrown to the ground and his legs were once again tied up. He was in too much pain to make any fuss. He felt sure that one of his ribs was now broken after tripping and falling over something, but this was nothing compared to the pain he felt in the back of his neck. If Sylvia had not stopped Evan when she did he didn't think he would still be around. The pressure on his neck was enough to have snapped it in two. He laid there and hoped that someone was looking for him this time. He didn't think he had the will power to withstand this kind of torture again.

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Horatio was on edge and it was quite apparent to everyone around him. They didn't know what was bothering him but could tell he didn't want to be asked. They also noticed that he was holding his phone very close, which was unlike him. Every time the phone rang Horatio answered it immediately and then looked disappointed after talking to the person on the other end. It almost looked like he was waiting for a call that didn't seem to be coming.

Natalia had just about enough of his behavior and wanted to go and say something, but she was interrupted by the approach of Katie, Ryan's co-worker. "Hi Katie, has Ryan come in yet, I really want to let him know what I found".

Katie had almost forgotten that Natalia was looking for Ryan. She was actually here to talk to Horatio but stopped to talk with Natalia "No, he hasn't come in yet and to be honest I am a little worried. He didn't call me to let me know he was going to be late and this is not like him. I know that he had been talking to Horatio about his case so I thought I would ask if he knew anything".

Natalia had a worried look on her face. She remembered the last time Ryan didn't show up when he was supposed to "He hasn't come in yet, have you tried calling him?"

"I did, but all I got was his voice mail. Do you know where I can find Horatio?"

"Yeah, I think he is in his office. But I should warn you he is on edge for some reason so watch what you say".

Katie was grateful for the warning "Thanks Natalia".

Katie found her way to Horatio's office and knocked on the door.

Without looking up Horatio said "Come in".

When Katie saw Horatio she could tell there was something wrong, but not knowing him that well couldn't pinpoint what it was. "Lt. Caine, I was wondering if you knew where Ryan was. He hasn't come into work yet and didn't call to say he was going to be late. I just thought since you were helping him on his case you might know where he was".

Horatio finally looked up and acknowledged Katie "I'm sorry I don't know where Ryan is". He wasn't lying to Katie; he didn't know where they had him, but he also didn't want to tell her the truth. He was still trying to work out the best course of action and didn't want anyone's help. It would take too long for him to explain how he knew so much about the case, plus he wasn't ready to say he withheld evidence on the case; evidence that would have had a great impact on Ronald Paige's trial.

Katie couldn't wipe the worried look off her face. She didn't quite know how to explain it but she had a bad feeling that something was wrong with Ryan "He's been gone since yesterday and I am really worried about him".

Horatio could tell Katie was genuinely concerned for Ryan, but he just couldn't tell her what was going on, not now anyway. This was something he had to do on his own, or at least until he knew what Ryan's abductor wanted. "I'm sure he is just out working on his case and hasn't realized the time. If I hear anything I will let you know".

Katie was a little angry with Horatio's response. It sounded like he didn't care and she had to wonder if he was really going to do anything about it. She was about to question Horatio's level on concern when his phone rang.

Horatio answered the phone "This is Horatio". As he listened to the person on the other line he looked at Katie "If you'll excuse me I really must take this call".

"Sure, but can you please let me know if you hear from him". Katie decided this wasn't over. She planned on coming back to talk more about the issue with Horatio but it would have to wait. She could see the distress on Horatio's face after he answered the phone and figured his call was important.

Horatio waited until Katie had left the room and shut the door before returning to the caller on his phone "Before you say anything I need to know that Ryan is alright".

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	19. Chapter 19

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"I can assure you that Mr. Wolfe is still alive, but I didn't call so we could discuss him. It's time for you to do something for me".

Horatio wasn't happy with the answer "I need to hear for myself that Ryan is ok before I do anything for you".

It was Evan's turn to unhappy "you can talk to Mr. Wolfe after I get what I want", his tone of voice indicated his statement was not up for discussion.

Horatio had to concede defeat and give Ryan's kidnapper what he wanted "Tell me what you want me to do".

Evan's voice was much calmer now "now that is more like it. You worked on the case involving Richard Paige and even helped him later on, am I right".

"I helped investigate the murders, but he was not convicted and we were unable to find out who killed his family".

"Yes, but you helped him after this didn't you. I am looking for something he took from me and I am thinking he must have given it to you for safekeeping". Evan stopped and waited for Horatio's response.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I worked on the murder case but that was all. If he took something from you I have no idea what it is". Horatio paused before continuing "What does this have to do with Mr. Wolfe, do you think he found what you're looking for?"

"If I thought he had what I wanted I would have already taken it back. The thing I am looking for is hidden somewhere and I think you know where to look. All you have to do is retrieve what I want and you can have your man back".

Horatio needed more from this guy "How am I supposed to find what belongs to you if I don't even know who you are or what I am looking for. I am going to need you to be more specific".

Evan considered what Horatio said "you don't need to know who I am right now, but what you are looking for is a computer disk. He took it from me and I want it back before it gets in the wrong hands".

"Why didn't you ever ask Ronald for this item while he was alive?" Horatio was starting to get a little confused as to what this guy was asking.

"He said that it was in a safe place as it was his only insurance that kept him alive, but now that he is dead I can't take the chance that this information won't get into the wrong hands. If this information were to get in the wrong hands it could destroy me."

"If you couldn't find it how do you know that I will have any more luck?" Horatio only assumed he must have been looking for it.

Evan was growing impatient with Horatio "I thought I would have more time to look for it, but now that your man had re-opened the case there may be more people interested in obtaining it. I just can't take that chance, so if you want to see your CSI again, you'll help me find it".

"I still don't know how you expect me to have more success in locating this disk".

Evan had lost all patients now and started screaming "His daughter, I want you to check with his daughter. He must have given it to her for safe keeping".

This information did not sit well with Horatio; he needed to get the focus off of Allison Paige, "Ronald Paige's daughter was murdered. I need some other kind of clue if you hope to find it".

"I don't think so. You know what I think, I think you helped Ronald hide her and now you're protecting her. Both you and Ronald thought that her life may be safe as long as she held onto the disk, but you're wrong. Can you honestly tell me that her life is worth more to you than your CSI? Maybe I need to give you something to think about". Evan put the phone down and went to get Ryan. He was going to make sure he had Horatio's full attention this time.

Horatio didn't like the silence on the other end of the line. He felt powerless since he was forced to wait. He didn't have to wait long. He heard someone come back into the room.

Evan came back into the room dragging Ryan, who was struggling against his assailant. Evan came very close to the phone and started to shout "Hey can you hear me; I hope you can because I want to give you some to think about". Evan started to pound his fist into Ryan's stomach causing Ryan to shout out in pain. Evan once again shouted toward the phone "Are you getting this Horatio? If you don't assist me, you're only digging your man's grave".

Ryan didn't know why he had been dragged into the room but as soon as Evan said Horatio's name he figured it all out and started shouting himself "Horatio, don't worry about me. Do what you have to do to keep her safe". He had just completed this sentence when he felt the final blow that sent him off into darkness.

Ronald had stopped what he was doing when Ryan went fell limply down to the floor. "Did you hear what he said Horatio. He said you should keep her safe. So who could this 'she' be if it's not Allison Paige? I suggest you rethink what you said earlier and go have a talk with Ms. Paige and get back what is mine. If you don't, you can expect a certain CSI to be delivered back to you in pieces". Evan went over to the phone and ended the call before he dragged Ryan back to his room.

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Horatio knew what he had to do, but he needed to take certain precautions to ensure that both Allison and Ryan were safe. He would contact Allison and ask her if there was something her father entrusted here with, but he needed to make sure no one knew where she was. He had made this promise to Ronald and he meant to keep it. But he also needed to find some way to get Ryan back in one piece. He had decided that he would find this computer disk and use it the same way that Ronald had used it. He would use it as a bargaining chip to ensure that Allison was left alone and that Ryan was let go alive.

Horatio left work without telling anyone where he was going. If this was going to work he needed to do this on his own. He couldn't risk everything he had worked so hard for. He was on his way to see Allison and he hoped she had what he needed.

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It was Sylvia who once again tended to Ryan after Evan was through with him. She brought a pillow with her this time and rested Ryan's head on it. She also brought him some Advil and water to take; hoping that it would help dull the pain. She really hated to see Ryan hurt. She didn't really know him, but for some reason she felt the need to protect him from her uncle. She really wished that this had never happened, but now that she was here she had to make a decision. She was being told to go back home tomorrow, but she felt if she did, she would never see Ryan alive. While tending to Ryan and waiting for him to wake up she realized there was only one thing she could do; and that was to help him escape. As she sat there thinking of a plan for his escape he started waking up. She looked down at Ryan and said "Ryan, oh I am so sorry for all of this. I hope he didn't hurt you too badly?"

Ryan turned his head to face Sylvia "I don't know how much more of this I can take". He tried to sit up, but thought it was best to stay where he was after he felt the pain in his ribs flair up. He didn't want to appear weak in front of Sylvia, but these beatings were taking a lot out of him both physically and emotionally. It had not been that long ago since he was in a similar situation and had hoped to never be in that position again, but here he was.

Sylvia did her best to make Ryan comfortable. She also helped him sit up far enough to get the medicine down. "There, I hope these will make you feel a little better. I don't agree with anything my uncle has done so far. I just wish he would have chosen to stay out of it and we may have been ok, but now nothing will ever be the same". Sylvia looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Ryan found the strength to sit up finally "Do you know why he is doing this Sylvia?"

"He is looking for something that Ronald Paige took from us and he wants it back. He didn't like hearing that you re-opened the case because this could draw attention on us before he had a chance to find it on his own". Sylvia handed Ryan some more water to drink.

Ryan took the offered water before asking "do you know what he is looking for? Is this why he had gotten Horatio involved?"

"It's got something to do with my other family, secrets that we don't want getting out. My uncle is afraid that if this information got out it would be the end of everything we knew and loved. I understand why he wants it back, but some of that information is over 10 years old so I would think it didn't matter. My uncle doesn't see it this way, he says our family doesn't normally forget or forgive anyone".

"How does he expect Horatio to help? If this has been hidden for 10 years it could be anywhere by now". Ryan had an idea that all of this had something to do with Allison Paige, but he didn't want to reveal anything to Sylvia, since he didn't know if he could trust her.

"He thinks Ronald's daughter has it and he has asked Horatio to find out. He seems to think Horatio knows more that he is letting on". Sylvia was starting to feel better as she shared her information with Ryan. She just wanted to run away from all of this and forget about the last 10 years.

"But she's dead, what would make him think she was alive and that Horatio had knowledge of this?"

"My uncle believes she is alive and is determined to have Horatio check on the possibility that she may have the disk". Sylvia all of a sudden heard someone walking outside of the room and became scared to continue on with the conversation. The last thing she wanted was to get caught, but she also didn't want to see anyone else killed. She grabbed her stuff, but left the pillow. Before she left she leaned down and whispered in Ryan's ear, "I will try and do what I can to get you out of here. Be ready for a possible quick departure later on".

Ryan watched Sylvia walk out the door. He wondered if she was for real and was she really offering to help him escape. He had to be careful since this may just be a trick.

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Author's Note: What are your thoughts? If you feel so inclined, please type them up for me to read.


	20. Chapter 20

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Horatio was on his way to see Allison Paige, but it took all his training as an undercover officer to make sure he was not followed. He thought he may have been extra paranoid to think he was being followed, but he wanted to keep her safe. He also didn't want anything to happen to the people she now called family.

Horatio was glad the family didn't live to far from Miami. Allison had been purposely placed with a family that lived close, which gave Ronald the ability to see her. But this was a good thing for Horatio since he couldn't afford to waste any time.

After the 2 hour drive, Horatio turned onto the road where Allison and her family lived. It was a very nice upper class neighborhood and she received the best life had to offer her. He thought she deserved it after what happened. He was always very proud of how strong she had been when he moved her here. He thought she would cry the whole way and then make a big fuss until she was taken back to her father. Instead she acted much older than she was and took in all in stride. She did have problems after a while but she got past them quickly and adapted to her new life and her new family; Craig and Mandy Palter. Allison was eventually joined by a little baby brother 3 years after joining them.

The Palter house was a beautiful 2 story brick house and had the looks of something out of house and gardens. He saw that Craig Palter was outside working on the flower bed that ran the length of the driveway. Craig was aware that he was coming to see them, and had made sure that Horatio was aware of how unhappy he was. The Palter family had not seen him for awhile and after learning that Ronald Paige had died, they finally thought everything about Allison's past was finally where it belonged, in the past. But there was nothing else Horatio could do. He needed to help Ryan, and Allison may be the only person that could help.

Horatio got out of his car and approached Craig, "Hi Craig, is Allison here?"

Craig put down his gardening tools and stood up to answer him "She's in the house Horatio, but I gotta say this again, I am not happy about you being here. Isn't there any other way you can save your officer?"

"You know I would never do anything to harm Allison. Believe me, if there was any other way I wouldn't be here".

"Well then, let's get this over. I told Allison that you were coming and she got very excited". Craig led Horatio through the house and into the back yard.

Allison was sitting by their pool soaking up the sun, but as soon as her father came through the door she jumped up very excited. She ran over to Horatio and gave him a big hug.

Horatio hugged her back, and then pushed her forward just enough to get a good look at her "Wow, you look so grown up now. It's been awhile since I've seen you".

"It's been too long. I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me". She moved forward again and gave him another hug before letting go. "So, how long can you stay? Dad told me you were coming, but he didn't really tell me why".

"I can't stay long this time, but maybe next time. I came here to talk to you about your father; Ronald". He looked at Allison waiting to see if there was a change of expression on her face. He didn't want to upset her by asking about her father, but after a few seconds he could see she was not affected.

Allison led both her father and Horatio over to the table by the pool. She sat down before answering, "What do you want to know. I would think you know just as much about him as I do, maybe even more".

Horatio took the seat to her immediate left. He looked at Craig before responding "There is something of his that I am looking for and I need to know if he gave it to you".

"What kind of thing would it be? The only thing he gave me was a box containing some family pictures and a few trinkets. Why would any of these things be important?"

"I'm looking for a computer disk, do you remember if there was anything like this in the box of things he gave you?"

Allison thought about it for a minute and then said "I don't remember seeing anything like that in the box, but your more than welcome to look for yourself, everything is still in the same box".

"That sounds like a good idea, is the box here?" Horatio was hoping she said yes.

Allison could tell that Horatio was anxious to look in the box, so she was glad to say, "Yes, the box is down in the basement. I'll go and get it for you, unless you want to come down with me?"

Craig had kept quite while the two of them talked, but he really just wanted Horatio to find what he was looking for and leave. "Allison, I would like to talk to Horatio some more. Why don't you go down and get the box and bring it out here, ok?"

"Ok Dad, I can do that".

Craig watched his daughter go inside the house before turning back to Horatio, "I think it would be best if you took the box with you. You can send it back when you're done".

"I can do that Craig. I didn't mean to cause anything here".

"I know you didn't. If it were anything else I would have loved you to stay, but under the circumstances I need you to leave. I am tired of looking over my shoulder; always trying to ensure my family is safe. I was so hoping that after Ronald died everything about his past would go with him. I thought that Allison would finally have a chance at a normal life. But then you called and it brought everything back". Craig slumped back into his chair. He really didn't want to have to kick Horatio out, but he was scared that whatever Horatio was looking for may bring his family grief.

"I understand Craig. I'll take the box and leave". He had no intentions of staying in the first place. He really just wanted to find the disk.

Just then Allison came back outside carrying a large box in her hand. She set it down on the table in front of Horatio, "Well here it is. Do you want to look in it now?"

Craig stood up and said "No Allison, Horatio has to get going so he is going to take the box with him".

She looked at Horatio, "Oh, I was really hoping you would stay longer. Are you sure I can't change your mind?"

Horatio stood up and grabbed the box, "No, like your father said, I really need to get back to town. I promise you the next time I come I will stay longer".

Allison seemed to be satisfied with his answer and gave him a quick hug, "Ok, I plan on holding you to that promise".

Craig led Horatio back through the house and out to his car. As he watched Horatio get into the car he said, "I hope you can get your man back safely".

Horatio nodded his head before closing the door. He started the car and slowly backed out of the driveway. His thoughts quickly shifted from Allison to Ryan. He was in a hurry to get back to the lab so he could search the box. He hoped he would find the disk, but didn't want to think about what would happen if he didn't.

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It was around 2 in the morning and Sylvia had finally decided to make her move. She could see that her husband was sleeping, or it was more like she could hear him since he was snoring so loudly. As quietly as she could she got up from the floor where she had been laying to go and look for her uncle. She really hoped he was also sleeping, or her plan would not work.

As Sylvia crept into the kitchen she heard something and feared that he was still awake, but as she peeked around the corner she saw that the noise was coming from a small television and in front of it was her uncle; his head down on the table, apparently sleeping. This was good news, but she still had to be very quiet if her plan was going to work.

-

Ryan had been trying his best to get comfortable, but so far had not been successful. He wasn't sure what time it was, but it felt late. He was tired and wanted to sleep, but he needed to be on guard. As he laid there he heard someone at the door. He hoped it wasn't Evan coming back to have some fun again. He had done that a little earlier and while Evan may have had fun, he certainly didn't. He watched as the door slowly opened, he was surprised to see that it was Sylvia. She came in quickly and had her hand to her mouth showing him he needed to be quiet.

Sylvia crouched down to where Ryan was and started untying his hands and feet. She got close to his face and whispered "I need you to be very quiet, my uncle and husband are sleeping just outside of the room".

Ryan wanted to say thank you, but figured it could wait. He got up once he was untied, but he struggled a bit as his whole body felt very stiff and painful. He followed Sylvia out of the door and out of the house.

Sylvia was grateful they made it out of the house without anyone noticing. Now all she needed to do was get in her car and drive away without anyone one finding out. She unlocked the doors and helped Ryan get in before going over to the driver's side. She started the car and cringed at the sound it made. She hoped it just sounded loud because she was trying to be quiet, but she didn't want to take any chances. She backed out of the driveway as quickly as possible and drove off into the night; turning on the headlights when she thought she was safely away.

Back at the cabin Evan had woken to something that sounded like a car. He looked at the time and saw that it was late. He shot up out of his seat as he thought about Ryan in the next room. He rushed to the door and saw that it was opened. He looked inside and found it was empty. He ran to Edward and yelled "get up, the boy has escaped, we need to find him".

Edward opened his eyes and sleepily looked up at Evan "what were you saying about the boy?"

"He's gone, we have to find him".

Evan's words finally sunk into Edward's head and he sat up from where he was laying. He looked over to get Sylvia up, but saw that she wasn't there. He looked at Evan, "where's Sylvia, do you think he took her?"

"I don't know, but I heard a car outside and I think he may have driven off in one of them. We need to go now if we are going to catch them".

Evan and Edward ran outside and saw that one of the cars was indeed missing. Evan ran to his car and got it started while Edward jumped inside. As they pulled out of the driveway, Evan saw some lights from a car turn on; the car was up the street and appeared to be moving, "Hey, I think that might be them over up a head". He turned on his own headlights and followed the car hoping he was right.

-

Sylvia had just turned on her lights and was driving away when she heard Ryan utter, "Look in the rearview mirror, I think we're being followed".

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	21. Chapter 21

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By the time Horatio arrived back at the lab it was late. He went straight to his office and started going through the box of items. After searching through everything he was extremely disappointed. There was nothing in the box that resembled a computer disk. He had no other places where he could look for this disk and he needed to come up with a new plan; and quick.

He looked at the clock and saw that it was a little past 2 in the morning. It was really late and he thought a few hours of sleep would help clear his head. He thought about going home, but the couch in his office was used as a second bed more times than he could remember, so it would do for now. He always kept a spare blanket and pillow on hand for just such an occasion.

He had just sat down and taken his shoes off when his cell phone rang. This better be important he thought, it was late and he really needed some sleep. He reached over his desk to retrieve the phone from his jacket that was hanging off the chair.

"This is Horatio".

"Horatio, Sylvia helped me escape and we are driving out in the middle of nowhere. We're going to need your help, can we meet you somewhere".

Ryan's voice was music to Horatio's ears, "Ryan, are you alright? Where are you right now?"

"I'm in a car with Sylvia and we need a place to meet up with you".

Horatio thought for a moment, "Do you know if you're close to the ocean?"

"Yes, Sylvia said we are very close".

"Great, do you remember that warehouse where we found the decapitated couple a few months ago? I think we should meet there".

"I remember it H, we'll meet you there as soon as we shake the car behind us".

As soon as Ryan said that Horatio heard what sounded like a big crash.

He didn't like the sound of that, "Ryan, are you there?" When there was no response he raised his voice, practically shouting "Ryan, answer me".

The line went dead.

-

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The car carrying Sylvia and Ryan was forced off the road and went sliding down a very deep ravine. It finally stopped at the bottom with a thump against a tree. Sylvia hit the steering wheel hard while Ryan was violently jerked in his seat belt.

The car that caused them to go off the road stopped at the top of the hill. Evan and Edward got out of the car and ran to the side of the road looking down. Edward was straining to see the bottom of the ravine, "do you think they survived?"

Evan was also straining to see the bottom, "We can't take any chances. We have to find a way down there". Evan was prepared to kill both of them if he found them alive. He loved his niece, but he was positive she betrayed him and their family. That was not acceptable.

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Ryan opened his eyes and found that he was still sitting in his seat. His chest was on fire as the seatbelt was resting very tightly across it. He looked over at Sylvia and saw that she was slumped forward against the steering wheel. He slowly undid his seatbelt and carefully turned to Sylvia. He ached all over, but he didn't have time to worry about himself.

He used his left hand to feel Sylvia's neck and was relieved to find a nice steady pulse. He tried to get her to wake up, "Sylvia, can you hear me?" He waited for some kind of response and when he didn't get one he tried again, this time shaking her very lightly, "Sylvia, come one, I need you to wake up. We need to get out of here before they find us".

This time there was a low moan from Sylvia who slowly sat up. There was a large gash on her forehead that her hand instinctively went up to touch, "Ouch, that hurt's. What happened?" She moved her head just enough to see Ryan looking at her. "Ryan, what happened?"

"Sylvia, our car went off the road and you hit your head. Do you think you can move; we really need to get out of here before they find us?" Ryan sounded nervous as he looked around; seeing nothing but darkness.

"I think I can move". She tried, but cried out in pain. She looked down at her leg and felt it with her hand, "I I hurt my leg, I'm not sure I can make it".

Ryan looked down at her leg and used his hands to see if something was pushing into her leg. He didn't feel anything, but he did get more groans of pain from Sylvia as he was checking. "I don't think you're stuck on anything, so we are going to have to try. I'll get out and come over to the other side to help you out".

Ryan got out of the car and cautiously made his way to the driver's side of the car. He had to struggle to get the door opened, but once he did he helped Sylvia get out of the car. It took longer than he would have liked, but eventually she was leaning against the side of the car rubbing her leg.

"Ryan, I don't think I broke anything, but I don't know how far I am going to get". She tried to get a good look at Ryan in the dark and thought he wasn't in any shape to get very far either.

"We just need to get far enough away so they don't find us. Once we find somewhere to hide I can go for help". Ryan didn't know if this was the best plan or not, but it was all he could come up with. He figured he just needed to get Sylvia somewhere safe and then he could go for help.

"What about the phone, can't we just call for help?"

Ryan had forgotten all about the cell phone. He did a quick search of the car and found nothing. He knew the phone had been in his hand when they left the road, but he had no idea of where it had gone. It may just be lying outside of the car, but it was too dark to see. His original plan would have to do, as it was all he could think of.

The two of them started walking away from the car in a direction they hoped was the right way. It was slow going for the both of them since Sylvia was leaning heavily on Ryan and Ryan was doing all he could do to not fall. He had not allowed himself to think about any of his possible injuries after the crash, but now he was having a hard time ignoring the pain he was feeling. He didn't know if the pain was the result of the accident or something Evan had done to him.

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	22. Chapter 22

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Horatio was started to grow more frantic with every minute. Why wasn't Ryan calling him back? He was afraid for Ryan and knew that he couldn't do this alone anymore. He called Eric and Calleigh and asked them to come to work. He needed to get help if he was going to find Ryan.

By the time Calleigh arrived at work Horatio had already been working on tracing the call that Ryan had made, but was having no luck. He also had a map out trying to pinpoint where he may have been when he called. Ryan had indicated that he was close to the water and close to the warehouse they were suppose to have met up at. Horatio briefly looked up from his work to see who was here, but was soon staring back at the map in front of him. "Thanks for coming Calleigh. I know it's early but Ryan's in trouble and I need your help".

Calleigh thought Horatio sounded desperate, but she wasn't positive since this was an emotion she was not use to hearing from him. "How do you know Ryan's in trouble? I thought he was busy working on a cold case".

"I know that you probably have a lot of questions, but I would like to wait until Eric gets here before I answer them". He didn't like to have to repeat himself.

As Horatio finished his sentence Eric came into the room just in time to hear his name and made his presence know by asking. "What answers would those be?"

"Eric thanks for joining us. I need both of you to help me with Ryan. He is in trouble and I can't do this by myself". He turned in such a way to be able to address both Calleigh and Eric, "Let me explain to you what is going on before you ask your questions, OK?"

Both nodded their heads and waited for Horatio to continue.

"We don't have much time to work with so I am going to be brief. As both of you know Ryan was working a cold case, but what you don't know is that I made sure he was temporarily reassigned to the cold case department. I asked that he be put on a very specific case that I thought would be a easy one for him to close, but things have not gone as planned. Apparently by re-opening the case some people from the cases past have resurfaced and are now looking for something; something for which they have taken Ryan hostage. I received a call from him saying that he has managed to escape, but while I was talking to him his line went dead. I need your help to find him".

Eric was listening to Horatio and now saw an opportunity to respond, "I don't understand any of this. You knew someone had Ryan and you're only saying something now, none of this is making any sense".

"I understand your confusion and I promise you I will tell you, but right now we need find Ryan". Horatio began explaining the phone call he received from Ryan and how he thought he may know where he was. The 3 of them decided to drive out to the area and each take a section to look for Ryan.

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Ryan and Sylvia had been moving around in the dark for what felt like forever, but the rising sun brought them back to reality and made them realized it had only been a couple of hours. Both were getting very tired and wanted to rest but agreed it was too risky to stop.

They had kept away from any roads and stuck mainly to the low lying areas where they would not be seen, but Ryan felt they were far enough away from the car that they could take their chances with finding a ride or maybe even a phone.

There appeared to be a road up a head and he hoped it would either lead to a business with a phone or be filled with people on their way to work that were willing to help. "Come on Sylvia, we just have to go a little further. We should have some luck with the road up ahead".

"I don't know Ryan, I really would like to rest before walking any further. I am so tired and my leg is really bothering me. Besides, you look like you could go for a rest as well". Sylvia had been keeping her eye on Ryan and thought he was in more pain than he was letting on.

"Maybe we could rest just a few minutes, but I have a feeling we are close to finding help and maybe a little food and water". He was trying to sound positive, but he like the idea of resting just as much as Sylvia probably did. The pain he had been feeling earlier was only getting worse and it must have been apparent to Sylvia.

-

After resting for about 20 minutes Ryan decided it was time to get going. He helped Sylvia up and led her to road. He looked in both directions and didn't see anything so he chose to go left. As they walked along the side of the road both of them heard a car approaching. They both looked behind them and saw that it was a blue SUV speeding down the road. As it got closer Ryan starting waving his arms to get their attention but it didn't seem to be slowing down. If anything it seemed like it was going faster. Before they knew it the SUV had passed them. "Why didn't they stop, don't they see we need help".

Sylvia looked at Ryan before saying "Have you seen us, I don't think anyone in their right mind would pull over and pick us up. I think our best bet is to just keep walking until we find a gas station or something".

He knew she was right; they both looked like they had been dragged through the mud. The only thing they could do was walk.

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Eric had just found what appeared to be fresh tire tracks that led to the edge of the road and down the ravine. Horatio had told him that it sounded like the car had crashed before the call ended so he decided to check it out to see if the two were connected. As he followed the tracks he saw there was a car at the bottom. He rushed over to it to see if there was anyone inside. When he didn't see anyone he was both relieved and afraid. Whoever was in the car was gone, but he didn't know if they had gotten out themselves or had been forced to get out. He looked inside to car to see if he could tell who it belonged to. He didn't find anything, but he could tell there had been 2 people in the car when it crashed. That would fit Ryan's story that he was in a car with a woman named Sylvia, but it wasn't enough to prove it was them. As he searched around the car he came across a cell phone. He picked it up and was relieved to find it was still functioning. As he searched through the phone he didn't come across any contacts that indicated who the phone belonged to, but as soon as he looked at the last call that was placed he knew he had the right car; the last call was placed to Horatio.

He grabbed his own cell phone and called Horatio and Calleigh to tell them he found the car. While he waited he started searching the surrounding area for any clues to indicate which direction they went into and whether or not they were alone when they left.

By the time Horatio and Calleigh had arrived, Eric had already concluded that they were alone when they left and he knew which direction they went into. He brought the other 2 up to speed on what he found.

Horatio suggested they venture off in the direction the 2 went. He knew they if they were being followed they would probably have stayed away from the road, but at least they had a general direction to look. He had been around this area before and knew it didn't contain much of anything, but he did know there was a gas station a few miles from here.

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As they walked along the road, only one other car had passed them and just like the truck it had refused to stop. "It feels like we have been walking for miles Ryan, we've got to be getting close to something by now".

Ryan felt the same way, but he didn't want to let Sylvia know. They had to keep their spirits up and keep moving.

As the rounded the bend in the road their prayers were answered. About a third of a mile down the road they could see what looked like a gas station. Ryan would have run all the way if he could, but the way he was feeling and Sylvia's leg he knew he would not get very far. They took their time walking and soon found themselves within feet of the place. It didn't look like it was opened but that didn't matter. Ryan spotted a phone booth and was glad to find it was still in working condition. With so many people having cell phones he figured phone booths were probably on the endangered list, but this one was still alive and kicking.

He didn't have any money on him, but luckily Sylvia had a few quarters. He dropped them into the phone and hoped he would get a hold of Horatio. As he listened to the phone ring on the other line he kept his fingers crossed that someone would answer. The ring was soon replaced with the sound of Horatio and Ryan gave a thumbs up to Sylvia who was sitting a few feet away.

"This is Horatio"

"Oh my god, I am so glad I got a hold of you".

Horatio felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over him when he heard Ryan's voice, "Where are you, are you alright?"

"We're both ok. Were at a gas station called "Lou's", do you know where it is?" Ryan had no other clue to give Horatio since he really didn't know where they were.

"I know it very well, I want the both of you to stay put, were on our way to get you". Horatio let Calleigh and Eric know that he found Ryan. He got into his car and raced off in the direction of the gas station.

-

Ryan hung the phone up and went over to Sylvia, "Horatio is on his way over". He sat down next to her rubbing his chest as the pain intensified from the movement, "I am so glad this is almost over. I don't know how much I could have taken".

"So what's going to happen now? Am I going to go to jail for taking part in you're kidnapping?" Sylvia had not taken the time to think about this until now. She had a brief thought about running away once she knew Ryan was safe, but she was tired of having to look over her shoulders. She would accept whatever they did to her.

Ryan could tell she looked worried about the prospect of going to jail, "We may be able to do something about that. If you are willing to testify against your uncle we could get you a lesser sentence or maybe even get the charges dropped".

"I don't know if I should do that. There is a lot of stuff that I know and I am afraid they would try to silence me if they knew I was talking. Isn't there anyway you could just let me go?"

Ryan patted her knee in an attempt to comfort her and said, "I don't think you should worry about this right now. It will all work out in the end, especially since you helped me escape". He slowly stood up when he heard the sound of a car approaching. He looked off in the distance to see if it was Horatio. As the vehicle got closer he saw that it was not the standard department Hummer, but instead it was just an ordinary looking sedan. He walked closer to the road to get a better look, but as he did this he turned back and starting running toward Sylvia "Sylvia, we gotta run, I think they found us".

She looked up at him and was frightened by the way he was running and screaming at her "Who found us". She didn't have to wait for the answer after thinking about it for a second; she knew exactly who Ryan was yelling about.

Ryan helped Sylvia up from where she was sitting and at first he thought she was going to fall back, but she straightened herself up enough to get moving.

The car was almost on top of them and there was no good place to run. The gas station was closed so they couldn't run in there. The only place they could go was around back. He knew they saw them and hiding was pointless. All he could think to do was keep them busy until Horatio got there.

-

As the car followed them behind the station it was suddenly being pelted with flying objects. On closer inspection they saw that it was coming from behind the dumpster. Evan was driving and decided he had had enough of this and drove straight for the dumpster in an attempt to pin them behind it. Edward seemed to sense what he was about to do and grabbed the steering wheel just in time for the car to miss the dumpster. He yelled at Evan "what are you doing, you're going to kill her".

Evan pushed Edward away and attempted to run the car into the dumpster again. This time he succeeded but had saw that his targets had already moved away from it. This was not working so he did the only thing he could. He got out of the car and waved his gun in the air shouting "Come on, how far do you think you'll get before I shoot you. Why don't you both come over here so we can talk about this?"

As he heard the word 'gun' Ryan froze where he was. He knew they would not be able to outrun a gun; they were trapped. He decided to respond to Evan from where he was standing "I think we can talk without being face to face. You should know that the police are on their way here right now, so you may want to think about running".

Evan shouted back "do you really expect me to believe that. You're trapped and you know it, so you would say anything". Evan started approaching the area where he thought they were hiding. "You're not going to get away so you may as well make this easy and come along quietly. I promise I will let you go once your boss brings me what I want".

"No, I think I will take my chances with the police. They will be here any moment". Ryan was trying to get an idea of where Evan was so he could be ready to fight in necessary. As he took a quick glance around the corner he was suddenly facing the barrel of a gun.

"Like I said, you were not going to get away, so just come out where I can see you". Evan waited as Ryan moved forward out of the shadows. He didn't see Sylvia, "so where is she, I know she helped you, but since she is my niece I won't hurt her". He waited and finally saw Sylvia limp out toward him.

Sylvia was tired and just wanted this to stop, "Evan, why are you doing this. Ryan was telling the truth about the police. If you leave now you could probably get away".

"I'm not leaving without the both of you". He aimed the gun at Ryan and shouted "Move". When he was not moving fast enough he gave Ryan a shove; causing him to fall to the ground.

Sylvia rushed over to him and helped him up, "you didn't have to do that Evan; we'll do what you want".

Ryan and Sylvia walked over to the car and got in the back, while Evan got into the front passenger seat still pointing the gun at them. He looked out and shouted at Edward to get his butt over here and drive.

Edward was walking to the car, but seconds later he was running toward it shouting, "Evan, we have company". He reached the car and got behind the wheel. Seconds later he was backing the car away from the dumpster when he felt something hit it from behind. He looked in the rearview mirror and saw a white hummer in his way, "Shit, we're stuck".

Evan didn't wait to see what would happen next. He got out of the car and grabbed Ryan out of the back seat and put his arm around his neck while pointing the gun at his back, "If you want to see your man live, you'll let me leave".

Horatio was already out of the car and pointing his own gun at Evan "Let him go, there is no place for you to run".

"I will shoot him". As if to prove his intentions, he shoved the gun closer into Ryan's back causing him to groan in pain.

"Drop the gun". Horatio was growing impatient

"No, you're going to let me get into the car and drive off". He looked at the car and realized it would not work while the hummer was in the way. He didn't see any keys on Horatio and hoped it was because they were still in the ignition. He turned his head in order to see Edward "Hey, I need you to get out and move the hummer out of the way".

While Edward got out to move the hummer, he saw Evan lead Ryan into the car via the passenger's side. He also noticed that Ryan was now behind the wheel with the gun pointed at his head. For some reason he didn't like this, but he did as he was told. He got into the hummer and saw the keys were there. He backed up the hummer just enough to allow the car to get out. As he was getting out of the hummer he was forced to watch the car back out and take off without him. He shouted at the car to stop, but he was soon looking at the other end of Horatio's gun.

"Well, it looks like they left without you, get down on the ground". Horatio didn't want this guy to get away, but he also knew he had to go after the car which was now around the corner of the gas station and out of sight. He placed cuffs around Edwards wrists and was about to get into his vehicle when he heard a loud crash. He ran around the station and saw that the car Ryan was driving was now smashed into the hummer that Eric was driving.

By the time Horatio arrived at the car, Eric was already pointing his gun at Evan demanding he get out of the car. He decided to run over to Ryan and check on him. He found that Ryan was slumped forward on the steering wheel, "Ryan, can you hear me".

Ryan thought he heard the sound of Horatio's voice so he slowly and very painfully lifted his head to see if he was correct. When he looked to the left of the wheel he saw a very concerned look on Horatio's face, "H, I don't feel so good". His head slumped forward as he passed out, but luckily there was a hand to cushion his head and prevent it from slamming back into the steering wheel again.

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	23. Chapter 23

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An ambulance had taken both Ryan and Sylvia to the hospital while Eric and Calleigh processed the scene. Evan and Edward were taken into custody; accused of kidnapping a police officer and possible attempted murder. Horatio waited long enough to see the two men being placed in a squad car, but was now on his way to the hospital. He really wanted to be there when Ryan regain consciousness.

Horatio entered the emergency room and inquired about Ryan's condition. He was told that they had to take Ryan into surgery since he was suffering from internal bleeding. This gave him a chance to go and see Sylvia and talk to her about what happened. There was a police officer stationed outside of the room they had her in. She had been placed under arrest along with her husband and uncle, but she was taken to the hospital to have her leg looked at. Luckily for her it was only a sprain.

He entered the room to find Sylvia resting on the bed with her eyes closed. "Mrs. Kemp, how are you feeling?"

Sylvia was not sleeping when Horatio came in, but she really was in no mood to talk to him at the moment. She reluctantly opened her eyes and looked at the man who entered the room, "You must be Horatio Caine".

"I am. They tell me you are going to be alright, you were lucky. I have to thank you for helping Mr. Wolfe escape. This will look good to the DA when they discuss the charges against you". Horatio didn't want to say too much since he couldn't guarantee anything.

Sylvia sat up at the mention of Ryan's name, "Can you tell me how Ryan is? They won't tell me anything, but he had it pretty rough on the ride over here. Please just tell me he's ok".

"He's in surgery right now, but I promise you I'll let you know how he is doing once I find out something. Until then you should get some rest. I will have one of my officers come and talk to you about the last few days. If you cooperate with the investigation, this will also sway the DA in your favor". Horatio didn't wait for her to answer. He left her room and went to wait for news on Ryan.

---

Horatio was sipping he second cup of coffee when a doctor walked over in his general direction. Once it became apparent they were here for him, he set his coffee down and stood up.

The doctor came over and asked "Are you lieutenant Caine?"

"I am. How is Mr. Wolfe doing?"

"My name is Doctor Grant; I was the one who operated on Mr. Wolfe. He is a very lucky man. If any more time had passed he would have eventually bled out. I don't know how he lasted as long as he did". The doctor could see the confusion on Horatio's face, "I'm sorry, I should probably elaborate a little more on his condition. Mr. Wolfe suffered some trauma to his chest and it created a small tear in his liver; causing him to bleed internally. I was able to repair it, but he will be out of commission for awhile". He looked at his chart briefly before asking, "Maybe you can help me with something though, there was a lot of bruising on his chest, some of which appeared to be from a seat belt, but the rest was a little older and looked like it had come from repeated beating. Can you tell me what happened to him?"

"I don't know all the detail, but I intend to find out. When can I see him doctor?"

"You can see him once he is moved out of recovery. I will have a nurse come and get you when he is ready for visitors".

Horatio watched the doctor walk away and sat back down to wait some more. He looked at his coffee, but he was no longer interested in it. He got up to throw the cup away, but was interrupted by someone calling his name. He looked over and saw that it was Katie, Ryan's coworker.

"Lt. Caine, I just heard what happened and I rushed over here. How's Ryan doing?"

Horatio threw his cup away before responding, "He's out of surgery, but he is not ready for visitors yet". He motioned to the chair next to his, "do you care to join me?"

Katie took the offered seat, "Thanks, can you tell me what happened. I thought he was just out investigating his case for you". She was very confused, but she was also angry. She knew that Horatio had something to do with this, so she expected some honest answers from him.

He didn't disappoint her, as he told her everything; well almost everything that he knew about the case and what happened to Ryan. The only thing he left out was the part about his covering up evidence 10 years ago to protect Allison Paige.

As Horatio finished telling Katie what she wanted to know they were approached by a nurse telling them that they could see Ryan. Katie wanted to see him and make sure he was ok, but she thought it would be better if Horatio went in alone. She could tell he blamed himself for all that happened, but she didn't want to say anything.

-

Horatio entered Ryan's room, but had to wait until the nurse was done with him. He stood up against the wall to stay out of the way, but he was able to get a good look at Ryan. He was hooked up to a few machines that Horatio suspected were there to monitor his condition and administer fluids and pain killers. As for Ryan, he looked very pall and tired. It was hard for him to look at Ryan knowing that he was to blame for all of this. Had he not asked him to work the case none of this would have happened. But all of this was hopefully in the past and Ryan would be willing to come back to the lab. He had planned on asking him to come back once he was done with his case, but he hoped the past few days' events wouldn't affect Ryan's decision.

The nurse finished up and told Ryan to use the button on his remote if he needed anything. She smiled at Horatio as she exited the room, allowing them some privacy.

"Well Mr. Wolfe, I can say I have seen you looking better".

If this was Horatio's attempt to lighten the mood in the room it worked. Ryan was able to produce a small smile before saying, "Well, just give me a few days and I should be back to my old self again".

"Don't be in too much of a hurry, you need time to heal so I expect a long vacation is in order".

Ryan smiled again at this, but as he tried to sit up he groaned in pain. "Maybe your right, I should just take it easy for awhile". He was silent for a few moments before asking "Is Sylvia OK, I think I saw her in the ambulance with me, but I wasn't sure".

Horatio took a seat next to bed so Ryan could see him better, "she's going to be ok".

Ryan was relieved to hear this. He wanted to talk more but whatever the nurse gave him, it seemed to be working. He was getting very tired and was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. The last thing he remembered seeing before he fell asleep was the smiling face of Horatio.

-

-

Ryan was being released from the hospital after 7 days and Horatio made certain he was there to pick him up. It would be several more weeks before he would be able to come back to work, but that didn't stop Horatio's decision to ask Ryan if he wanted to come back to the lab.

He helped Ryan into his condo and made sure he had everything. He also knew that Katie had come over and cleaned and dusted his place and gone grocery shopping so he didn't have to do anything but rest.

"Wow, does it feel good to be home". Ryan walked over to his favorite chair and slowly sat down. It wasn't a far walk from the car, but he was already feeling worn out. "So Horatio, I really want to thank you for everything you've done for me while I was away".

"There is no need to thank me, I'm just glad you're alive". He took a seat on the couch next to Ryan's chair. "There is something I would like to talk to you about, but I will understand if you're not up to it right now".

Ryan didn't know if he liked the sound of this. He knew that Horatio had been feeling guilty for getting him involved in this case that went so very wrong, but he thought he had already discussed this in the hospital. "No, I'm fine, but if it's about the case again, I thought we already cleared everything up. I don't blame you for this, I was working a case and some unanticipated things occurred that you could not have known about". He watched for his reaction.

"No, it's not about the case Ryan; it's about your job. I want you to come back to work for me when you're feeling better".

Well this is not what he was expecting to hear. He had to wonder if Horatio was asking him back out of guilt, but he didn't want to ask. There was something different between him and Horatio ever since he asked Horatio for help on the case and he didn't want to damage whatever it was. But he also wanted to do what was best for him. He really liked working on the cold case and he liked working with Katie. He had quite a few long talks with her when she would come to visit him; which was every day. "Can I think about it, I just got home and don't really want to think about work right now".

"I understand completely. I want you to take it easy and don't worry about anything. I also expect you to call me if you need anything, understood?"

"Yes sir". Ryan smiled to himself. He liked this very different feeling he got when he talked to Horatio. It almost felt like he was finally being accepted, but he didn't like to dwell on this too much for fear it wouldn't last.

-

Horatio stayed for awhile to make lunch while Ryan napped and to make sure he didn't need anything. He knew that Katie was coming over later to help so he decided to stay until she got there.

While they were eating lunch the case was discussed and everything that had been going on while Ryan was in the hospital. Sylvia had agreed to testify against her uncle and husband for a lesser charge against her part of the kidnapping. She had also agreed to tell them everything she knew about her uncle and husband's involvement in the Paige murders, but they told her there was enough DNA from Evan to convict him of murder in both the Paige family and Greta's death. She had told them all she knew about the computer disk and what was on it. Apparently it contained a lot of dirt on her mob family and a lot that implicated Evan and her husband of conspiring against the family. It was no wonder they were willing to do anything to get it back. Had it gotten into the wrong hands, the mob would have come after them. Knowing all that Sylvia had done for the case they also agreed to put her in the witness protection program to protect her from any further harm. They never found the disk and she really hoped it was never found, but she felt better about getting a new life.

There was one thing that Ryan didn't care to bring up, and that was the evidence that Horatio still had from the case. He decided not to tell anyone about it; his way of ensuring Allison Paige stayed safe. Even though Horatio never said anything, he could tell he was grateful for the omission of this information when closing the case.

After eating Ryan laid down again while Horatio cleaned up the kitchen. As he finished up Katie arrived. He talked to her briefly and then left Ryan in her capable hands.

-

-

-

Ryan had spent the last 3 ½ weeks at home healing from his last case. His doctor told him he could go back on light duty, which was fine with him. Sitting at home was getting dull and he needed some action.

He parked his car in his usual spot; right next to Katie's car and walked down to the office. As he entered the room he was Katie sitting behind her desk and gave her a big warm smile, "Hi Katie, what do you say I take you out for breakfast?"

Katie smiled back at him before saying "sounds good to me, I missed breakfast and I'm starving". She stood up to grab her purse, but stopped as she heard Ryan's phone ring. As she stood there listening to him talk, she had the feeling breakfast was going to be whatever she could find in the vending machine again.

"Hey Katie, do you think I could have a rain check on breakfast? Horatio just called and said there was a murder last night and he needs me to go out and check on it with him". He went over and put his arms around her waist; pulling her close so he could kiss her, "so what do you say, I'll pick you up later and take you out to dinner?"

She kissed him again and said "It's a date, but you better not be late". She gave him a quick squeeze before letting him go. As he walked out of the office she went over and sat down at her desk. She allowed herself to think about Ryan and how they had gotten close in the past few weeks and thought it was best he went back to the lab. She thought it would be to hard working with him if he shared the same office. And thinking about work, she thought she better get back to it; she had a new person starting this afternoon and she wanted to be ready.

-

-

Ryan walked into the lab and found Horatio, Eric and Calleigh waiting for him.

Horatio looked at Ryan and was glad to have him back on the team. "Well Ryan, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go".

-

-

-

Allison Paige was picking out clothes to bring to college. She was going to be leaving tomorrow for her new life in California and she was really excited. As she put the last of her clothes in her suitcase she reached for a box that was in the very back part of her closet. She opened it up, took out a computer disk and placed it into her suitcase. She now had everything she needed for school.

-

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Author's note: Well, I had originally planned on writing more in this last chapter, but I think it turned out just fine. I want to thank everyone who let me know what they were thinking after reading this story. For awhile there I didn't think I would finish this story, but now that I have I can get to work on finishing up my other CSI Miami story; which I have been ignoring far too long.

I know some of you didn't want to see Ryan start a relationship with Katie, but I thought by adding it to the ending it would be a nice way to include it in the story without having to write about it too much.


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